Person charged and other on run after car flees Hastings police checkpoint

The car was abandoned at the corner of Windsor Ave and Louie St. Photo / Christian Fuller

One person has been charged as police continue to search for an offender who fled a checkpoint in Hastings, starting a police pursuit through busy city streets in morning rush-hour traffic.

A police spokesperson said one person has been charged with failing to stop for police as they attempted to stop a vehicle at a checkpoint in Frimley, which then fled down Frederick St shortly after 8.20am on Monday.

It fled across Karamu Rd and down Grove Rd, past Splash Planet, before coming to a stop on Windsor Ave.

A Hawke's Bay Today reporter at the scene said an abandoned vehicle on the corner of Windsor Ave and Louie St, surrounded by police cars, was smoking and a possible fire appeared to have been extinguished.

Two fire engines were at the scene.

Police said they had been unable to locate the driver of the vehicle and are still working to locate them.