Man in custody after fleeing driver incident closes highway near Winton

Officers went to speak with a driver when the vehicle fled.

A man has been arrested after a fleeing driver incident in Invercargill this afternoon.

About 5pm, officers went to speak with a driver when the vehicle fled.

Southland Area Commander Inspector Mike Bowman said a pursuit was authorised, but abandoned over the vehicle’s driving.

“Officers have used their training and coordinated their response. That allowed other units to get into place ahead of the vehicle,” he said.

The car ran over spikes on State Highway 6 (SH6), south of Winton, near the intersection with McKenzie Rd, about 6pm.

A short time later, the vehicle crashed into a water table on McKenzie Rd.

“Thankfully, the male suffered only minor injuries and two other people in the vehicle were uninjured,” Bowman said.

SH6 remains closed, and diversions are in place while the Serious Crash Unit carries out a scene examination.

Enquiries are ongoing and charges are being considered.

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