An Auckland teenager is without wheels and will face charges after a patrol detected him driving at dangerous speeds.
It could have been a different story.
A Motorway Patrol unit on the Southern Motorway saw the vehicle being driven at high speed at around 11pm on Sunday.
Sergeant Chris Mann says it¡¯s lucky that Police is not telling the public about a fatality today.
¡°Another unit picked up this vehicle on the motorway as it neared the Mt Wellington off-ramp,¡± he says.
¡°It locked the vehicle at an eye-watering speed ¨C nearly twice the speed limit.¡±
Police attempted to stop the vehicle near the off ramp, but the driver failed to stop.
¡°The Police Eagle helicopter deployed and was able to track the vehicle,¡± Sergeant Mann says.
¡°Another unit in the Mt Wellington area was able to successfully deploy spikes to slow the vehicle down.¡±
Eagle soon directed ground staff to a Pt England Street, where the vehicle had parked up.
Sergeant Mann says the 18-year-old male driver, and registered owner of the vehicle, will face court over his actions.
¡°Alongside having his vehicle impounded, the driver has also been suspended from driving for 28 days,¡± he says.
¡°There is no excuse for driving at this speed and it¡¯s fortunate our staff weren¡¯t knocking on someone¡¯s door last night to advise of a fatality.¡±
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/51½ÖÉä