A 15-year-old driver reached speeds of 130km/h in a stolen
car while fleeing from police in Tauranga overnight.
Police say they are horrified by the incident, which came
just hours before three 16-year-old boys were lucky to escape
serious injuries when their car left the road and rolled in
Te Puna near Tauranga.
Senior Sergeant Glenn Saunders said police tried to stop a
car with three occupants in Te Puke shortly after midnight.
The car did not stop and fled to Mt Maunganui, where police
had deployed road spikes.
The road spikes failed and the pursuit lasted for another 10
minutes until the car came to a stop in a dead end street.
Mr Saunders said the car, which had been stolen from Te Puke,
reached speeds of 130km/h on the open road and 60km/h in
urban areas.
Police found a 15-year-old boy at the wheel and two
14-year-old girls in the car.
The driver and one of his passengers have been referred to
Youth Aid.
The incident came just hours before three 16-year-old boys
were lucky to escape serious injuries in a single-car crash.
Mr Saunders said a Honda Accord failed to take a gentle
right-hand bend on Borrell Rd in rural Te Puna, near
Tauranga, about 3.30am.
The car left the road and came to rest on its roof in a
ditch.
One of the 16-year-old boys was taken to hospital with minor
injuries, while the other two were uninjured.
Mr Saunders said all three had been drinking and police were
trying to determine who was driving the car at the time.
"Young teenagers joy-riding in cars, failing to stop for
police and in the second incident adding booze into the
equation are all the ingredients for disaster," Mr Saunders
said.
"Staff who attended the crash on Borrell Rd were amazed none
of the occupants were seriously injured or killed, judging by
the damage to the car. They are three lucky boys."
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