Rotorua police are speaking with the driver of a stolen vehicle after a high speed car chase in Rotorua and Eastern Bay of Plenty this morning.
Police used the BayTrust Rescue Helicopter to keep an eye on the vehicle after police abandoned their pursuit due to the dangerous nature of the alleged offender's driving.
The 27-year-old driver of a stolen Subaru station wagon travelled from Rotorua, towards Paengaroa, then into Whakatane before heading through Edgecumbe and back towards Rotorua.
The driver ran over road spikes near Lake Rotoma on State Highway 30 and was followed by the helicopter attempting to hide down a driveway. As police approached the area to look for the alleged offender the driver left the driveway and rolled the car as he attempted to turn back onto the highway.
A 27-year-old man from Rotorua has been arrested and was taken to Rotorua Police Station for questioning.
Police would like to thank members of the public for their patience following a number of brief road closures put in place in order to safely stop the vehicle.
More details to follow.