A teen driver who fled Dunedin police at high-speed, while a passenger hung out the window and hurled bottles at officers in pursuit, continued driving after losing the car's tyres in a crash, police say.
However, the two did not escape the grasp of chasing police for long and within in 15 minutes of the chase starting they had been tracked down by police and dogs, with one of the two teens receiving a bite from a police dog.
Sgt Mike Calvert, of Dunedin, said officers were called at 1am to Andersons Bay Rd after reports of a suspicious vehicle.
Police indicated for the car to stop, but the suspects drove off.
Police pursued the vehicle while a passenger hanging out of its window threw items including bottles at officers.
The car drove "a few kilometres" to Princes St where police created a blockade so they could not reach the Octagon, Sgt Calvert said.
"Police took steps to prevent risk to the public."
The driver then turned off the car's lights and police abandoned the pursuit for public safety, he said.
The assailants crashed near Crawford St and lost tyres, before driving off again.
By that point the driver was manoeuvring the vehicle on three rims.
Officers located the car at the corner of Hanover and Grange Sts
A passenger from the vehicle threatened police and starting running from them.
He was apprehended by a police dog about 40m away from the car.
By that time less than 15 minutes had passed since the job was called in.
A 16-year-old male is being refereed to youth aid for a number of driving offences.
A 17-year-old male, who was treated for dog bite wounds at Dunedin Hospital this morning, will appear in the Dunedin District Court.
Related Stories
Comments
I want to ask here why do we have to congratulate the cops everytime they do there job what they are paid to do . This time at 1.15 am they chased a car of youths ( So you have a carload of young men full of testosterone chashing young males full of testosterone this is a call for someone to die it is proven on the roads all the time cops killing our youth . this chase lasted a few KMs Lucky no one including bystanders were killed . then because the driver turned his lights off the cops stopped would this not be the time to smother our city in flashing light to warn the drivers and truckies of dickhead and no lights . Then they crashed the car causing damage to someone's car this could have been averted but it was the cops fault . Now the hero's off the story jump in and in 15 mins it is all over only because the only sane one of this hole disaster the police dog did his job . Why do the police have to keep on telling us how long to capture people all the time why don't you publish the time breaking record other jobs do for our city or do they not count Why just cops