A motorcyclist was seen travelling at speeds of around 150kph to evade police before he rode over a bank and was killed in the Wellington suburb of Newlands last night.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority will investigate the death of the 29-year-old victim whose name is expected to be released today.
Police gave chase at spotting the rider speeding south on State Highway 1 near Tawa about 4.30pm.
"Officers attempted to get the motorcyclist to stop but he did not," police said in a statement.
The rider exited the motorway at Johnsonville and headed towards Wellington before taking the Newlands turnoff.
He rode along Newlands Road before losing control, crashing down a bank into Dennis Duggan Park.
Burger Fuel worker Andrew Pollard told the Dominion Post he saw the bike travelling about 150kph, with a police car tailing at speeds less than 100kph
"About five minutes after I got [to work] a bike flew past. It was definitely a new model. He was just hoofing it."
He said the rider was travelling at a speed where he"didn't think anything good was going to happen".
