Police taser, arrest man over multiple crashes

Police had to taser the man to subdue him. Photo / File

A Christchurch man who drove through the city's eastern suburbs allegedly damaging seven vehicles in a number of separate crashes has been subdued with a taser and arrested.

Police were first alerted to a trail of destruction at about 6:30 this evening with reports of a green holden ute causing a crash on Dyers Road and Maces Road in Linwood.

Subsequent reports from the public indicated the same ute had caused several more car accidents as it travelled toward the seaside suburb of Sumner.

The first happened on Main Road and Cliff Street, in Moncks Bay, followed by another on Wakefield Avenue near Wiggens Street in Sumner.

The reports also suggested the driver drove at people who tried to stop him.

There were no serious injuries, but ambulance have treated a number of the victims at the various scenes.

A police spokesman said it wasn't till these additional reports began to describe the same vehicle that they cottoned on to the fact it was likely the same offender causing each crash.

"We were going to each crash as they came and began to get a picture that it was the same vehicle."

Eventually police caught up with male driver on Wakefield Avenue near Evans Pass Road at around 7pm.

The spokesman said he became aggressive on approach and therefore was tasered.

He couldn't confirm whether the man was drunk, but said the results of a breathalyser test were incoming.

The driver is now in police custody and will be appearing in the Christchurch District Court early this week.

Trail of destruction

1. Dyers Road and Maces Road, Linwood
2. Main Road and Cliff Street, Moncks Bay
3. Wakefield Avenue near Wiggens Street, Sumner
4. Wakefield Avenue near Evans Road, Sumner