Man arrested after police chase on motorway north of Wellington

Roads north of Wellington were closed this morning as police chased a wanted man on the motorway, with the fleeing driver getting his vehicle stuck on a bank.

“About 7am, a vehicle of interest was seen in the Waikanae area and tracked to Te Horo. Cordons were set up while police, led by the Armed Offenders Squad, worked to locate the vehicle,” a police spokesman said.

“About 8.45am, it was seen by officers at a checkpoint on Old State Highway 1 (Riverbank Rd). The vehicle fled, reversing into a car driven by a member of the public, who thankfully was unharmed.

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“The vehicle crashed a short time later on Old State Highway 1 and a man was taken into custody. He is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.”

A 35-year-old man was arrested and the Old State Highway was reopened, but police expect traffic management will be put in place later to recover the vehicle.

A crew working near the incident saw the car being pursued by police stopping on the motorway off-ramp before trying to make a break for it, one man said.

“The police had a car chase on the old Ōtaki road south of Ōtaki,” he told the Herald.

The pursued car came to a stop on the off-ramp before the driver decided to try driving over the railway lines and over a bank, unsuccessfully.

“He got over them down to the bank... down the bank into a hole,” he said. “He was never going to get there.”

The man said a police car was damaged and the man has been arrested. The car used to flee police was now on a tow truck, he said.

Police and firefighters are on the scene.

The New Zealand Transport Agency earlier warned motorists the northbound Ōtaki Gorge Rd off-ramp approaching Ōtaki on State Highway 1 was closed due to a police operation.

“Old SH1 approaching Ōtaki is also currently CLOSED,” NZTA wrote on social media.

Commuters on Facebook described the area. “Looks like they really want a chat with this person - lot of spikes and police around,” one woman wrote.

A photo posted online showed police, Armed Offenders Squad officers, and firefighters on a stretch of highway.