Man wanted after police pursuit found sleeping on couch

Police were out on the North Shore hunting the man for most of the day. Photo / Tasha Payne

A Northland man has been arrested in relation to the dramatic car chase through Auckland this morning.

The 36-year-old man was found asleep on a couch in a Belmont property at 4pm, Waitemata Police said. He was unknown to the occupants of the property.

The man was woken up by police and arrested and will appear in the North Shore District Court tomorrow morning, facing a series of serious charges, police said.

This morning's rush hour pursuit saw a car flee on the wrong side of the road.

It was understood at least one family had to stop the man from stealing their car while they were inside it, while other people - including a mother pushing her son in a pram and school children on bikes - had to jump from the vehicle's path and were forced to stay indoors as police hunted for the man.

Inspector Andy Brill of Police Northern Communications Centre said the man was seen "driving erratically" on the Northern Motorway about 7.55am and did not stop when signalled by police officers.

Mr Brill said the man fled police, exiting the motorway at Esmonde Rd, Takapuna and dumping the car he was driving on Velma Rd in Glenfield.

"He dumped that car, ran away and stole another car...off the side of the road...and police chased him to Devonport."

In a statement, a police spokeswoman said the Police abandoned the pursuit due to safety concerns after the driver drove on the wrong side of the road in rush hour traffic.

One woman said she was crossing the Hauraki Cnr intersection with her young son in his pushchair when the driver ran a red light.

"The driver being chased sped through the traffic lights almost hitting me and my son in his buggy and a number of school students on their bikes," she told the Herald.

"He headed towards Belmont and we pointed towards the direction that he went when the first of five police cars went by not far behind him."

She said the man was driving a "little yellow car" that was "all steamed up".

John Long said he was at the corner of Lake Rd and Hauraki Rd when the man "tore through" a red light.

"Pedestrians were crossing four ways. He narrowly missed a lady pushing her baby boy in a pram, and a couple of other people crossing the road.

"I think everyone was a bit in shock."

The man dumped the second vehicle on Diomede St, Devonport and fled the area on foot.