Young but far from innocent is how a senior Waikato Police officer described a group of South Auckland teenagers arrested after the stolen car they fled officers in, crashed on a Hamilton street today.
Shift Manager, Senior Sergeant Andrew O'Reilly, said two 15-year-old brothers and two male accomplices aged 16 and 17-years-old were arrested on Memorial Dr about 1pm.
"The arrests follow an attempt by the driver of a Mazda Atenza, who failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection of River and Comries Roads, to flee Police who were trying to carry out a routine traffic stop."
Mr O'Reilly said when the driver of the car accelerated away a pursuit was initiated, managed by the Police's Northern Communications Centre.
"It didn't last long however, because as they were heading towards Memorial Dr, an innocent member of public driving a Nissan Pathfinder pulled out into the path of the Atenza and the offenders crashed into the back of the utility causing substantial damage to the car.
"One of the offenders tried to run off on foot but was quickly apprehended by responding officers coming from the nearby Hamilton Central Police Station while his three colleagues were found uninjured, cowering in the car."
The driver of the Pathfinder was unharmed in the incident.
"As it turned out, the Atenza had been reported stolen from a Mt Wellington address about 4.30am today and three of the occupants of the car were breaching bail for existing burglary and driving offences.
"Unfortunately what happened is a good example of what can occur when young people make wrong decisions around both offending in general and in relation to driving. The group are currently being interviewed by Police with a likelihood that they will appear in the Hamilton District Court tomorrow."
Mr O'Reilly said today's incident highlights the benefits of the Police's centralised communications and information systems in that South Auckland offenders stealing a car from Auckland can be detected and held to account for their offending on the same day in the Waikato.
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