An alleged car thief will face court after driving dangerously across parts of Auckland last night.
At around 7.30pm in Epsom, a man approached a staff member at a car dealership on Great South Road, stealing their keys and vehicle.
The staff member was not injured during the incident but was left understandably shaken.
°Â²¹¾±³Ù±ð³¾²¹³Ù¨¡ East Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Andrew Hawkins says Police were able to track the vehicle with the help of motorway cameras.
¡°Working with the Joint Traffic Operating Centre, we were able to observe its movements heading north along State Highway One and over the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
¡°We quickly made the decision not to pursue the vehicle, due its dangerous manner of driving.
¡°The vehicle has then exited the motorway at Onewa where the Police Eagle helicopter sighted it, and began to follow its movements,¡± Senior Sergeant Hawkins says.
Eagle observed the vehicle being driven around Northcote at speed and back towards State Highway One.
¡°The vehicle continued to be observed travelling at excessive and dangerous speed heading north.¡±
There was a change in fortune for the driver as he neared Silverdale.
¡°Eagle observed the vehicle slow down dramatically, and it pulled up on the shoulder of the motorway and stopped. It had run out of fuel,¡± Senior Sergeant Hawkins says.
¡°Our staff were able to swoop in and take the driver into custody without further incident.¡±
A 36-year-old man is scheduled to appear in the North Shore District Court today, 13 March, facing a raft of charges, including vehicle theft, driving with a breath alcohol limit over 400 mcgs and operating a motor vehicle recklessly.
¡°We¡¯re pleased that this person is off the road and no longer putting the public in danger. His reckless actions last night could have led to a serious crash, injury, or worse,¡± Senior Sergeant Hawkins says.
ENDS
Tony Wright/51½ÖÉä