The car was spiked but the driver managed to continue driving through the city and on to the Southern Motorway to Botany where they dumped the car and stole another.
They then drove across South Auckland towards the airport, then along State Highway 20 through the Waterview Tunnel and towards Auckland City before they continued on to the Southern Motorway, heading back towards Ōtara where it was spiked again.
“As the vehicle approached the Princes Street off ramp, the vehicle has caught fire and the occupants have surrendered to Police,” a police spokesperson said.
“Police are aware of the hazards these types of events can cause and we thank the public for their cooperation this morning in allowing Police to bring this incident to a close safely.”
Inquiries into the incident are ongoing.
All lanes on Auckland’s Southern Motorway have now reopened.
A picture of the incident from motorway cameras show smoke near the site of the incident and at least 10 police vehicles.
Earlier three southbound lanes were blocked.
