High-Speed Chase Along Kaikoura Coast Road

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29058, 21 November 1959, Page 12

High-Speed Chase Along Kaikoura Coast Road

After a high-speed chase by a Transport Department patrol car lasting over 23 miles yesterday afternoon, a youth overturned his car several times and crashed over a bank on to the rocks below, about 18 miles north of Kaikoura at Half Moon Bay. Traffic Officer D. W. Simpson, of Kaikoura, accompanied by Constable I. C. Jack ways, relieving constable at Kaikoura, were patrolling north along the State higway five miles south of Kaikoura when they observed a car being driven fast by a youth. The car was travelling at 70 friiles an hour,- swerving from side to side, while the youth was seen to be drinking from a bottle of beer.

Sounding the siren, Traffic Officer Simpson attempted to draw alongside, but the other car accelerated, and swerved across the road, blocking the passage of the patrol car. As the speeding car entered Kaikoura township it continued down Churchill street at 70 miles an hour, and each time the patrol car attempted to draw alongside it swerved across.

When through Kaikoura the car maintained a speed of 70 miles an hour, swerving across the road from side to side to stop the patrol car. It was taking blind bends on the wrong side of the road, and the driver was seen to reach into the back seat and put several beer bottles on the seat beside him.

The youth then commenced to hurl the bottles on to the road into the path of the patrol car. The first bottle narrowly missed two children on bicycles. The traffic officer had anticipated this, and dropped back far enough to avoid running over the glass.

The fleeing car struck the side of a one-way bridge at the Blue Duck turn off as it hurled across

the bridge at high speed. The driver threw a third bottle into the path of the patrol car •when approaching Half Moon Bay but this was also avoided. Traffic Officer Simpson decided that the driver was not going to let him alongside, and realising that at the speed the youth was travelling he would soon overturn the car, dropped back and waited for what seemed inevitable.

About one mile north of Half Moon Bay the youth drove into a bend at high speed, slid into the shingle, skidded out of control, rolled over several times and crashed over the bank on to the rocks.

When the traffic officer and the constable arrived at the car the youth clambered out and collapsed beside it. He was attended by a doctor from Kaikoura and his injuries were slight.

The youth was taken to the Kaikoura hospital, where he is being kept under observation. During the chase Traffic Officer Simpson saw a man standing at his front gate. He slowed, and shouted to the man telephone the Blenheim police. The Blenheim police sent a party to establish a road block at the Awatere bridge, but in the event it was not needed.