The young man who died on Thursday when his car crashed into a truck as he tried to escape police was a "loving son".
Calum John Meyer, 25, hit a cyclist while fleeing police on Thursday morning on Great North Rd. Later that morning his car caught fire when he hit a truck on Tayforth Rd as he tried to dodge road spikes police had laid out to stop him.
He died at the scene.
Mother Leonie Meyer said she knew her son had "done wrong" but asked people not to judge him.
"I know he's done wrong but he's paid for it this time," Mrs Meyer said yesterday.
She said the family did not know whether her son was "afraid that he had killed someone and he just knew that this time he would be going back to jail".
Her son had been in "a lot of trouble over the years".
"He's had a struggle with schooling and all that."
However, Mr Meyer had "lots of mates" and got on well with all of them, she said.
"He's been a loving son ... he hasn't been a terrible son to me," Mrs Meyer said.
Family members were pleased the cyclist Mr Meyer hit was not badly injured. The cyclist, who was in his early 30s, was taken to Whanganui Hospital but discharged the same day.
In urging people not to judge her son, Mrs Meyer said they did not know the whole story.
"They don't know my son.
"He's been in and out of jail a lot but he always comes home."