An outing for a group of Oamaru seniors turned into a police chase yesterday when they gave a ride to a pair of wet constables pursuing a suspect on foot.
"They were so happy to help. They were fizzing," Constable Rachael Osborne said after the incident.
The Age Concern minibus, taking members out for their weekly exercise, was parked near Observatory Village retirement residence when the occupants spotted two police officers on foot in the wet and cold conditions.
Const Osborne said the police were looking for a disqualified driver, who had taken off on foot and "dumped his car".
She and Constable Jay Morriss were happy to accept a ride to the suspect’s parked car.
Const Osborne said the retirees were overjoyed when the operation came to a successful conclusion as the officers found the suspect in his car at the end of Yare St.
Sergeant Blair Wilkinson said a 37-year-old Oamaru man was arrested for allegedly driving while disqualified for a third or subsequent offence and breach of bail, with a condition not to drive a motor vehicle.
He will appear in the Oamaru District Court on August 8.
Age Concern Otago declined to comment.
