Waikato police say they had called off the pursuit of a car driver before he collided with a van and was killed yesterday.
The chase began after the driver of a Mazda 323 was seen weaving in and out of traffic at speeds in excess of 100kmh north of Hamilton yesterday afternoon.
But Inspector Leo Tooman said the pursuit lasted less than two minutes before the pursuing officer pulled out because he was worried about the driving manner of the offender.
He then saw a cloud of dust in the distance as the Mazda collided with the van at the intersection of Gordonton-Puketaha Road.
The car driver was dead when the officer reached the scene.
Six passengers in the van were treated for minor to moderate injuries at Waikato Hospital.
The Waikato serious accident unit is investigating the crash and the Independent Police Complaints Authority has been informed.
The name of the dead man has not yet been released.
