Police pursuit in Auckland District that resulted in collision

18 July, 2019

The Authority oversaw a Police investigation into a pursuit of a fleeing driver in Auckland on 24 September 2018.

The officer commenced with a pursuit of a stolen vehicle which was also involved in a burglary. The pursuit reached a speed of approximately 120kph on road with a 50kph speed limit. The pursuit ended when the fleeing vehicle went through a green light, lost control and crashed into another southbound vehicle as well as two stationary vehicles. No serious injuries resulted.

The Police conducted a District Critical Incident review of the pursuit and found that the officer did not breach the law or Police policy.

The Authority has reviewed the information provided by Police and has concluded that the officer was not justified in driving at such a speed, particularly since the pursuit was approaching an intersection with other traffic present on the road. In the Authority's view, the officer's conduct potentially constituted dangerous driving.

The Authority has also criticised the Police handling of the investigation and advised Police that they should have conducted both an employment and criminal investigation. The Police have agreed to institute improved practices and supervision to ensure that matters referred to Police for investigation are dealt with appropriately.

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