Crash at State Highway 16 referred to IPCA

Around 9pm last night Police were called to reports that a 26 year-old man had fired several shots at a Ranui home.

A short time later a car fitting the description of the man's vehicle was seen by a Police patrol unit on Pookes Road, Ranui. The driver failed to stop and a pursuit was initiated by Police after they activated their lights and sirens.

The man was believed to have a firearm and the Armed Offenders Squad was alerted.

The car went into a driveway on Northfield Road and as a Police car approached it rammed the vehicle twice and then fled at speeds of more than 120km/h towards State Highway 16, with no lights on.

With concerns for public safety, the pursuit was abandoned, and ground units also withdrew. The Police Eagle Helicopter continued to observe the car's movements.

The vehicle continued along State Highway 16 and road spikes were deployed in several locations.

As the Eagle continued to observe the fleeing vehicle's movements, the driver exited the motorway at Pt Chevalier. It then re-entered State Highway 16 and headed west.

Around 25 minutes after the Police pursuit had been formally abandoned, the fleeing driver drove into the rear of a roadwork's attenuator truck.

When approached by Police the driver did not comply with the Officer's instructions and given concerns that the man was armed, a Police dog was required to be deployed, and the event was resolved safely without further incident.

He was taken to Auckland Hospital with a broken leg and a dislocated hip. He will be interviewed by Police upon his release from hospital.

The truck driver was shaken, but uninjured.

Police are investigating the events leading up to the incident, which has been referred to the IPCA.

"This was a dangerous and unpredictable incident, and although the fleeing driver has been injured, it's fortunate that no innocent members of the public were harmed. A Police investigation is underway and the incident has been referred to the IPCA, and I am satisfied with the information to date that Police have complied fully with all required policy" says Inspector Rod Fraser, Acting District Commander, Waitematä Police.

ENDS

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