Officer charged over crash of two police cars in South Auckland

File photo / Glenn Taylor

A South Auckland police officer has been charged over a pursuit in which two police cars collided.

Hamish McCormack, 30, appeared in Manukau District Court yesterday charged with careless driving after an incident in Takanini on September 1.

Counties Manukau police confirmed that a constable had been charged following a "fleeing driver incident in which two police cars were damaged".

According to court documents, the smash took place on the intersection of Takanini School Rd and Manuroa Rd.

Police would not comment on whether McCormack was allowed behind the wheel since the charges were laid or whether he had been stood down from work.

They also refused to disclose further details regarding the circumstances of the charges.

"An employment investigation will take place following court proceedings," a spokeswoman said.

McCormack will be back before the court next month when he will likely enter a plea.

He faces a maximum penalty of a $3000 fine and the court may order him to be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver licence for such period as it sees fit.

CARELESS COPS

Oct 2014 - Constable Gary McKernon was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay $800 in reparation to the cyclist he hit at a Dannevirke roundabout while driving his patrol car. The woman was left with chipped teeth, an injured shoulder and bruising on her leg after McKernon failed to give way correctly at the roundabout.

May 2014 - Greymouth police Sergeant Matthew Charles Frost was convicted and discharged on a count of careless driving. He spun off the road and through a fence after drinking alcohol but left the scene before police arrived, hitchhiking into town.

May 2014 - Veteran cop of more than 30 years, Sergeant Mark Moody, crashed his motorcycle into a colleague's during a training exercise in rural Carterton. He pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving causing injury and was banned from driving for a month.

Feb 2010 - Hastings Constable Mikayla Paul, 22, was convicted of careless driving causing injury, and disqualified from driving for six months after failing to give way and hitting a motorcyclist and his pillion passenger. She was off duty at the time.