Driver crashes after overtaking West Coast's top cop

West Coast police area controller Senior Sergeant John Price got a bird's eye view of the one of the first car crashes of 2008 when a vehicle passed in front of him at high speed and crashed.

Mr Price was driving from Greymouth to Hokitika when the car overtook him and crashed into flax at Awatuna, 13km northeast of Hokitika, in the early hours of New Year's Day.

Police said they had spoken to one occupant of the car who was located a short distance from the crash but he denied he was the driver.

Investigations are continuing.

- NZPA