A woman was killed when a suspected drunk driver fled a police checkpoint and crashed into her vehicle in Blenheim last night.
Detective Richard Rolton told NZPA a woman had been stopped at an alcohol checkpoint on Alfred Street about 9.45pm.
A passive breath test indicated she had been drinking and the woman was asked to pull to the side of the road to take a breath screening test.
"Before being able to carry out (the test), the driver accelerated away from the checkpoint," Mr Rolton said.
"Police at the checkpoint attempted to follow the vehicle which went out of sight before they could signal it to stop."
Officers found the car about 400 metres down the road at a roundabout on Hutcheson and Nelson Streets, where it had crashed into another vehicle.
They went to help the driver of the second vehicle but she had suffered fatal injuries.
It was believed the driver of the first car was taken to Wairau Hospital.
Police said they had spoken with a number of people in the area and were calling for any witnesses to get in touch.
The scene was cordoned off overnight ahead of an examination by the serious crash unit today.
