Auckland cop charged with careless driving after two injured in Great South Rd crash

The accused officer is due to appear in the Auckland District Court later this month. Photo / File

A police officer has been charged with careless driving after allegedly running a red light and crashing into another car, injuring two people last year.

The 21-year-old was due to appear in the Auckland District Court yesterday after being charged over an incident in Manurewa on Great South Rd on July 21.

Two people, a man and woman, were injured in the crash, according to court documents viewed by the Herald.

The Herald understands the injured man is a fellow officer who was in the police car.

The accused constable, who faces two charges of careless driving causing injury, had her case adjourned yesterday and she is expected to appear in court for the first time at the end of this month.

Inspector Jared Pirret, the acting District Commander for Counties Manukau, said the accused officer was on-duty and attending to a priority incident when she crashed.

The constable allegedly drove through a red light at an intersection before crashing into another vehicle, Pirret said in a statement to the Herald today.

The officer remains on active duty, Pirret added, while no one else was charged over the incident.

The young officer is not the only Auckland-based cop before the courts for alleged driving offences.

A 31-year-old was charged last year after an incident while on duty in the city centre.

Andrew Dimitri Gan Zhilong is accused of driving dangerously along Symonds St in October 2018.

Superintendent Karyn Malthus, the Auckland City District Commander, earlier said the incident occurred while Gan Zhilong was undertaking "urgent driving duties".

Malthus, however, would not comment on whether those duties were related to a fleeing driver or another incident.

"The officer is currently on restricted duties," she said.

Gan Zhilong is due to appear in court again next month.

The Stonefields crash in January last year saw a police officer charged with careless driving. Photo / Supplied

Another police officer accused of careless driving last year was granted diversion after a crash in the Auckland suburb of Stonefields.

The 49-year-old man was accused of careless driving after he crashed a police car into another motorist on Ngahue Drive while on his way to an incident last January.

He was charged after a police review but remained on active duty while his case progressed through court.

After the officer was granted diversion in October, Malthus said: "Our officers do from time to time make mistakes including having traffic accidents and they are held accountable like any other member of the public."