Tauranga street racers: Mother of injured teen speaks out after police make arrests, impound cars

A mother of a teen injured at an illegal car meet is “relieved” after Bay of Plenty police impounded 12 cars and arrested three people in a street racer sting on Saturday night.

The crackdown, involving 100 officers, comes after a street racing event near TECT Park in Tauranga last month where one teenager suffered broken bones and leg lacerations after a ute doing donuts smashed into bystanders. Another teenager said the last thing she remembered from the event was “being hit by the back of the truck”.

A mother also spoke about rushing her daughter who was “struggling to breathe” to the hospital that same night, but their route was blocked by street racers having a car meet.

Acting police Inspector Simon Sinclair said the street racer sting last weekend was part of an operation to target “anti-social and dangerous driving behaviour”.

In addition to the 12 impounded cars, 15 were ordered off the road, 128 infringement notices were issued and five licences were suspended.

It involved 100 officers across Western Bay, Eastern Bay, Taupō and Rotorua.

“It was a significant effort on Saturday night from our people and we’ll continue to look at footage from the night to identify other offending,” Sinclair said.

“The outstanding effort sent a clear message to those engaging in anti-social and dangerous driving behaviour.”

A vehicle doing a burnout in Welcome Bay in Tauranga in April. Photo / Cameron Childerhouse

The mother of a teen injured at the street racer event near TECT Park, who spoke on the condition neither was named, said it was “really well done” of the police.

“It’s a relief to know that big action is being taken and that they’re sending a strong message that they can’t keep doing this.”

The mother said her teen would also be “relieved”.

Some of her wounds had taken four weeks to heal, she said.

“We’re at the tail end of her recovery which is good, but it’s just been hard. Even [after] getting her cast off, she’s left with pain,” she said.

“It’s changed her life quite a lot.”

A police spokesman said police had conducted “extensive inquiries” into the incident near TECT Park and were following positive lines of inquiry. No arrests had been made in relation to this incident.

Anyone with information that may assist the police in their investigation was asked to contact the police on 105 or online using an update report. The file number is 230424/1454.

Bay of Plenty police district commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said the operation proved “how strong the district is when it comes together”.

“While this meet was in the Western Bay, we know this type of boy racer behaviour can happen anywhere across our district and others.

“The professionalism and agility of our teams on the night clearly made a difference.”

Last week, former professional racing driver and road safety advocate Greg Murphy told Heather Du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB he wanted tougher laws on street racing.

Murphy said the racers used social media to plan events and listen to police scanners. He said the street racers knew the rules but the “thrill” was seeing what they could get away with.

“And it’s happening all over the place. And unless we come up with regulations, rules, penalties that are going to actually stop them from doing it - it’s just only going to grow,” he said at the time.

“They know for a fact that the laws actually are on their side because If they do get caught, the penalties for that are so light and so minor that it’s all actually a bit of a laugh.”