A Mount Maunganui man who allegedly led police on a drunken car chase through suburbia on Saturday will appear in Tauranga District Court today.
The 37-year-old will appear charged with reckless driving, aggravated failing to stop for police, failing to remain stopped, driving with excess breath alcohol and resisting arrest after two sets of road spikes were deployed.
Two sets of road spikes were deployed during Saturday's chase.
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Ian Campion says a black SUV failed to stop at around 7pm on Saturday for a routine police check point on Golf Road, driving off towards Maunganui Road.
A police chase ensued along a number of roads after the vehicle headed south towards Maunganui Road from the check point.
Turning left onto Maunganui Rd the man eventually did a U-turn at Te Maunga intersection, when the first set of road spikes were deployed.
Managing to miss these he doubled back on himself, continuing back along Maunganui Rd, turning back into Golf Rd and then right on to Oceanbeach Rd.
'He then stopped on his own accord when he saw a second set of spikes deployed on the road ahead,” adds Ian.
The 37-year-old is alleged to have blown more than 1000 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath when breath tested by police. The legal adult driving limit is 400mcg.
It is believed he was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
Ian says it was an unnecessary waste of police resources for not stopping at a routine check point.
At 10pm later that night police attended a minor two-car crash on Oropi Road, near Castles Road, with one of the drivers trying to flee the scene.
'One of the vehicles attempted to leave the scene and was stopped about 1km from the crash scene by police,” says Ian.
'A 49-year-old male will appear in court on drink driving related charges.”
There were no reported injuries from the crash.
7 comments
Why the change on 1 December
Posted on 03-11-2014 09:56 | By Surfwatch
Lowering the limit on 1 December is not going to stop those that drive while excessively drunk. All it will do is catch those that have had a couple of beers, and are OK to drive in a low speed zone. Nothing will change for those that drink over two times the limit and decide to drive.
What does it take?
Posted on 03-11-2014 13:02 | By morepork
We all know we shouldn't drink and drive. Sometimes good judgement goes out the window and we do something we know is bad, anyway. But when it is a fair cop, don't compound the problem by attempting to flee. Despite what you see in the movies, the reality is that you won't get away. The cops have a bigger gang than you've got...
Wisechief
Posted on 03-11-2014 14:19 | By Wise Chief
Obviously POLICE STATE disappointed they didn't shoot him dead for such a major heinous crime of drunk driving. Such killings now done as a natural course of their so call concern for citizens. Tauranga Police need to stop running roadblocks every week in Mount and Papamoa just to rake in massive amounts of fines money via those poor hemmed in on a very narrow peninsula.This is GROSS harassment. I don't condone drunk driving neither condone weekly imposed Nazi/Stazi roadblocks on most roads throughout our country each week using the lame excuse it is to save lives when in fact it is an extreme revenue gathering plot no different from the MAFIA protection rackets now being run by police worldwide. Only this one is being done via subtle manipulation of our laws. Remember Kiwis all these numerous law changes have been called for via Police Association Greg O'connor not Government.
Detained
Posted on 03-11-2014 17:10 | By lizandbruce
I hope these drivers were detained at least overnight in police cells to get a taste of what might be in store for them
Drunk driver
Posted on 03-11-2014 23:02 | By bentleybulldog
well, what an oxymoron is "wise chief"! Wise? I don't think so. What the hell do you want? a free-for-all and carnage on the roads? With comments like yours I wonder why you don't go and live elsewhere if you don't like the system. Gross harassment---for stopping drunk drivers? You need to get a life---somewhere like a desert island where you can do no harm to society. The amount of revenue you complain about is miniscule compared to the true cost of damage, emotional harm and life-changing that drunk drivers cause.
Seriously Impaired?
Posted on 04-11-2014 07:33 | By The author of this comment has been removed.
It seems that the driver of this vehicle was able to drive his vehicle quite ably despite being "seriously impaired" to drive according to the law. With the current testing regime there is a "one size fits all" policy in place. We all have differing tolerances to alcohol and its effect on us, the present law does not take this into account. I agree with Wise Chief - revenue gathering on a mass scale, all in guise that we are doing the community good.
why the change
Posted on 04-11-2014 08:48 | By 1rcford
lowering the drink driving limit is going to make it far worst. what I think will happen is they will realise that they have had 2 x beers and are now over the limit but safe to drive. if you are going top get done for drink driving after 2 beers why not enjoy the night and have 8 beers? not going to make any difference to the charge. like 0 tolerance for new drivers, no difference if they have 1 or 10 they are still going to blow over.
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