Taupiri round-abouts thwart fleeing drivers

Waikato Police believe a roading engineer may be owed a pat on the back after round-abouts in Taupiri contributed to the apprehension of two separate fleeing drivers this morning.

District Road Policing Manager, Inspector Freda Grace, said emergency services converged on the round-about on Great South Rd just before lunch when the driver of a stolen Ford Explorer, who tried to flee Poliice, crashed into a power-pole.

“He was arrested without injury or further incident but for some of our officers it was a bit of deja-vu.

“That is because, about 6.30am today one of our officers was passed on the Waikato Expressway by a motorcycle heading north at about 170km/h.

Deciding the rider was travelling too fast for him to pursue the officer radioed colleagues further north and commenced to follow the rider who was disappearing into the distance.”

As the officer approached the intersection of SH1 and SH1B at Taupiri, he arrived in time to see the speeding motorist fail in his attempt to negotiate a round-about.

“The officer describes the motorbike going airborne one way and the rider in mid-air heading in another direction.

The rider of the motorbike, which had no warrant of fitness, was shaken but uninjured in the crash.

The rider did not have a licence to be riding that bike and he now faces dangerous speed and failing to stop charges.”

Mrs Grace said when roading engineers consider plans for roads a variety of factors are considered but she doubted helping to slow down fleeing drivers was one of them.

“Given there was no injury from either crash I can accept there is an element of humour to what has occurred.

“What I can’t accept however, is the risk these fleeing drivers are placing my staff and innocent members of the public in.

Already this week emergency services have had to attend too many traumatic road crash scenes and no one, other than us, appears to consider the impact on those tidying up the mess.”

Mrs Grace said fleeing drivers can expect little sympathy from Police who will be working to ensure they face the appropriate court action.

“There are too many grieving families being left behind for us not to.”

ends

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