A man who allegedly went on a crime spree in Dargaville before ramming a Police car and fleeing in a stolen vehicle has been arrested.
At about 11.30am yesterday, Police were notified of a vehicle seen travelling on Port Road, Whangarei which had been stolen earlier during an aggravated burglary in Dargaville.
Whang¨¡rei-Kaipara Area Commander, Inspector Maria Nordstrom, says the vehicle was then sighted again on State Highway 1 near Otaika Roadd and Rew Rewa Road.
¡°The driver has then proceeded to ram a Police vehicle.
¡°Thankfully no one was injured and the damage was minimal, however this type of behaviour is completely unacceptable.¡±
Inspector Nordstrom says the vehicle fled towards Maungatapere and was spiked near Tangowahine Valley Road.
¡°The vehicle has become inoperable and the driver has abandoned it on Ounuwhao Road and attempted to flee on foot.
¡°Delta, the Police Dog unit, has tracked the alleged offender along nearby railway tracks where he surrendered,¡± she says.
¡°This was yet another great example of Police working together to hold people to account for their actions.
¡°We will continue to use all resources available to us when these situation arise.¡±
A 38-year-old will appear in Whang¨¡rei District Court today charged with three counts of assaulting a person with a blunt instrument, failing to stop and dangerous driving.
The arrest comes after a busy week for staff in Dargaville, with five arrests alone on one day on a variety of matters.
This included a 56-year-old man arrested for an alleged arson of a fence on a rural property in Te K¨puru.
Three other men were arrested in the area for outstanding warrants to arrest.
ENDS.
Holly McKay/51½ÖÉä