Police pursuit: Car travelling in wrong direction crashes into truck on SH1 near Kāpiti Coast

The crash closed State Highway 1 near the intersection with Te Hapua Rd. Image / Google

A car travelling in the wrong direction on State Highway 1 collided with a truck during a police pursuit north of Wellington this morning.

The road is now clear, but congestion remains.

Two people were injured in the crash near Peka Peka on the Kāpiti Coast. Police say the driver fled after they tried to stop the car.

"It was initially travelling southbound but at about 6am had turned around and crashed into a truck," the police spokeswoman said.

FINAL UPDATE 8:35AM
The truck #breakdown in Peka Peka is now CLEAR and the road is now FULLY OPEN in both directions. Thank you for your patience this morning. Drive safely. ^ELhttps://t.co/tHTiBXgPjt

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) June 26, 2019

Police had followed with sirens and lights on.

UPDATE 7:20AM
The southbound lane remains CLOSED just south of Te Hapua Rd in Peka Peka. Please continue to expect #delays through this area. ^ELhttps://t.co/tHTiBXgPjt

— Waka Kotahi NZTA Wellington (@WakaKotahiWgtn) June 26, 2019

Two people suffered minor injuries and one person has been taken into custody.

The southbound lane of SH1 heading into Wellington was closed and northbound traffic is moving slowly, police said.

The crash was cleared but a truck breakdown near the crash site continued to cause traffic problems.

The road is now clear and fully open in both directions.