Police say a Singaporean woman drove on for about 7km regardless of being followed by a patrol car with its red and blue lights flashing, because she thought the police were ''after robbers''.
The incident occurred near Arrowtown late on Saturday afternoon and led to the 30-year-old driver being charged with dangerous driving and failing to stop. She is expected to appear in the Queenstown District Court today.
Sergeant Steve Watt, of Queenstown, said the woman was arrested at 5.55pm on Saturday after several complaints were received through *555 about her driving behaviour in the Kawarau Gorge, when she was driving from Cromwell to Queenstown.
Complaints were also received about her driving on Friday. However, Sgt Watt did not know where those had originated.
He said police received ''numerous complaints about her vehicle crossing the centre line ... in its entirety'' at certain points along the way.
Her vehicle was located in Arrowtown and police activated flashing red and blue lights, signalling the woman should pull over.
However, she continued driving for 7km and stopped at Hensman Rd only after a second police car came to assist.
''The driver was spoken to - she stated she thought he police were after robbers so didn't think she had to pull over.
''When questioned about her driving behaviour she was oblivious to having ... driven badly.
''Given the severity of the complaints, she was arrested and charged.''
Sgt Watt said despite numerous calls for police to intercept bad drivers over the past few days, she was the only person charged to date over the holiday period in the resort.
''It's an extremely busy time of year. This has obviously resulted in a higher [amount] of traffic on the roads ... this has led to a number of driving complaints where police have been dispatched.''
The ''vast majority'' of the complaints received had been in relation to overseas drivers. However, there were several New Zealand drivers displaying ''some very poor behaviour on the roads''.
''It's a matter of being patient and, if you are a slow driver, pull over and let other people past.
''We want everyone to get to their destination.''
• Another Singaporean resident escaped injury on Saturday afternoon after the rental vehicle he was driving ended up precariously perched over a wall.
Sgt Watt said the man was staying at private accommodation in Hallenstein St and misjudged the left-hand side of the drive way when he was driving down an access way to check in.
''He's driven his vehicle off this ledge, causing it to cantilever.
''He had to remain in the vehicle until it was able to be secured by [fire crews] and removed him from it.''
The incident happened about 5.30pm. However, because it was on private property no further action would be taken by police.
• A visitor from Hong Kong had her contract with a rental company terminated after police stopped her on her way to Kaka Point yesterday.
Police responded to a driving complaint in Balclutha about 11am. The woman (38) was driving well under the speed limit and crossing the centre line, weaving in her lane, Constable Craig Gordon, of Balclutha, said.
After stopping the driver, police contacted the rental company which terminated her contract.
''She's agreed to get on the bus, and made other arrangements now, so it sort of mucked up her holidays, but at the end of the day it saved a fatality. The way she was driving was unreal,'' Const Gordon said.
• Emergency services treated the occupants of a hatchback which collided with a milk tanker on State Highway 1 near Waitati, about about 4.45pm yesterday.
The two occupants escaped with minor injuries, but were taken to Dunedin Hospital as a precaution. The driver of the milk tanker was uninjured.
