A 43-year-old man tried to avoid police by hiding in a Canterbury stream after he crashed and then ditched a stolen car.
Inspector Craig Scott said police spotted the vehicle in the Kaiapoi area on Monday morning and then saw it again in Belfast.
"The driver is believed to have become aware of the police presence and left the area, colliding with a member of the public's vehicle as they drove away," Scott said.
No injuries were reported. Police then located the stolen car on Dickeys Rd, Belfast.
"Further enquiries led police to locate the man in the middle of Otukaikino Stream."
The stream is a tributary of the Waimakariri River.
"Attending officers engaged with the man, who was refusing to come out of the water, with the assistance of the police negotiation team," Scott said.
The man was taken into custody a short time later and assessed by ambulance staff.
He was charged with unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and was due to appear in Christchurch District Court on April 1.
-Allied Media
