Probe ordered into 'police pursuit' that left woman hurt

A crash that left a woman injured when her vehicle was hit by a carload of youths thought to be fleeing police will be referred to the Police Complaints Authority.

The woman passenger suffered suspected pelvic injuries in the collision at a roundabout in the Pukekohe town centre on Saturday night.

Her vehicle was hit by a car carrying three youths who sped into the intersection of King and Queen Sts.

Auckland Inspector Ian Brooker said the crash happened "seconds" after a police patrol noticed the old car had only one headlight and made a u-turn to speak to its occupants.

Mr Brooker said police were not chasing the car at the time but it was being investigated in the same way as a pursuit.

A serious crash team was called to the scene to prepare a report for the authority, he said.

"The fact that they're running away from police, or appear to take off when they saw police, throws it into that PCA area," he said.

Local workers reported hearing police sirens and seeing flashing lights up to five seconds before the collision.

Mr Brooker did not know if the officers used their lights and sirens but he did not dispute the witnesses' claims. He said the police car did not have the chance to call in a pursuit.

Police policy states a pursuit occurs "when the driver of a vehicle which has been signalled by a police officer to stop, fails to stop and attempts to evade apprehension, and police take action to apprehend the offender".

Police have to take into account speed, weather and other traffic and decide whether the need to stop the car outweighs the risks to the public, the occupants of the fleeing car and police themselves.

Police say there were 6026 pursuits between January 2000 and November 2005, with 222 ending with an injury and 17 ending in fatalities.

Saturday's crash is one of three involving police cars in which people have been injured in recent days.

An unmarked police car was one of three vehicles involved in a crash at Kumeu, west of Auckland, yesterday.

St John Ambulance said one person was taken to North Shore Hospital with moderate injuries.

The accident happened on State Highway 16, near the intersection with Brigham Creek Rd, just before 1pm.

Sergeant Julian Conder of the Henderson police said the unmarked police car was being driven by a North Shore officer carrying out inquiry work.

Mr Conder said the west-bound police car and a city-bound car collided, and a third vehicle towing a trailer with a quad bike was also involved.

The officer would submit an internal report on damage to the car but the crash would be investigated as a routine traffic accident, Mr Brooker said.

On Thursday, a police officer lost control of his car during a pursuit in west Auckland and ploughed down 20m of a concrete boundary.

The officer escaped with minor injuries after his vehicle failed to take a bend on Te Atatu Rd and crashed through the concrete wall.