Road spikes were unsuccessfully used before a local helicopter was deployed to help track the vehicle. Several motorists who saw the police chase of a wanted motorist in Christchurch have described the "scary" episode, with one likening it to "something out of Grand Theft Auto".
Police in the city have been in pursuit of a stolen vehicle since this morning, sparked by police reports of the occupant presenting a firearm at another motorist. Multiple eye witness accounts said a silver Subaru drove into a BP on Moorhouse Avenue in the central city, before the driver sped off in a parked van amid the police chase.
Kylie Ryan, who was driving along the road shortly after 9am, said she saw the speeding car cross the centre line. It was weird. Another motorist, who did not want to be named, said they caught a glimpse of the driver at an intersection on Wilsons Road North in Waltham before they ran a red light. The motorist told RNZ the scene had left him angry as he had his children with him, who had exams to focus on. Lauree Hunt said she was driving along Sawyers Arms Road, between Bishopdale and Harewood, towards Christchurch Airport before she spotted a silver car speeding towards her down the centre line.
Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus said it was still following lines of enquiry to locate the occupants. Police received a report at about 6. Police did not initiate a pursuit and instead tracked the vehicle as it sped through several suburbs of the city. New Zealand RSS. Follow RNZ News. Tags: crime transport Canterbury. Get the RNZ app for ad-free news and current affairs.
