Two people who got away after being chased by police may be hiding in bush near the Mamaku hills.
The chase ended when the pair, possibly a man and woman, rolled the stolen green Subaru station wagon they were in on a bend on a forestry road off
State Highway 5 in the Mamaku ranges, north of Rotorua.
The car, stolen from Titirangi in West Auckland, was first spotted by police overnight yesterday on Sala St.
Acting Sergeant Roger Schreuder said police tried to stop it but it took off at high speed. The night shift police staff then lost the chase on Old Taupo Rd.
A few hours later, the same car drove off from the Gull service station on Te Ngae Rd just before 7am without paying for petrol.
Mr Schreuder said the car was long gone before police could get to the service station but it was believed the car travelled passed the Rotorua Airport and turned left at Mourea and headed around Lake Rotorua.
A police officer on Hamurana Rd spotted the car shortly after 7am and followed it to Ngongotaha Rd and right on to State Highway 5 heading north.
Mr Schreuder said several police officers took up the chase but they had to call it off because of the high speed.
"Those Subaru Legacy turbos can really go when they want them to. Police just couldn't keep up ... We were doing 120km/h and 130km/h and it was travelling much faster than that. We had no choice but to pull back because of the number of cars that were on the road at the time and the public safety."
Unbeknown to police, the stolen car turned left on to Galaxy Rd, a forestry road, and then on to Lesley Rd where it went out of control on a bend and rolled.
Mr Schreuder said the occupants ran from the crash. When police found the crashed car, they used police dogs to try to find them, following a strong track to the Highland Hills, at the top of the Mamaku ranges before Fitzgerald Glade, before the scent was lost.
It was possible the offenders had called associates to drive them out of the area or they could be hiding out in farmland. It is also unknown if the offenders were hurt.
Mr Schreuder asked locals and farmers in the area to keep an eye out for anything suspicious as well as report any stolen property, which may be taken by the pair to help get them out of the area.
Anyone with information should ring police urgently on (07) 348 0099 or (0800) TIPOFF.
Two people who got away after being chased by police may be hiding in bush near the Mamaku hills.
The chase ended when the pair, possibly a man and woman, rolled the stolen green Subaru station wagon they were in on a bend on a forestry road off
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