A group of eight teens and children, some as young as 11, were involved in a dramatic cross-country crime dash in stolen vehicles that saw a motorist injured and a police officer hit. Photo / File
A group of eight teens and children, some as young as 11, were involved in a dramatic cross-country crime dash in stolen vehicles that saw a motorist injured and a police officer hit. Photo / File
A group of eight children, some as young as 11, were involved in a dramatic cross country crime dash in stolen vehicles that saw a motorist injured and a police officer struck by a car.
The shocking incident, which occurred on Saturday around 5pm, stretched from Waikato to the north of Auckland in an episode that was described by one police source as "mayhem".
Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan said an off duty police officer witnessed a number of youths, aged between 11 and 17, abandon a stolen vehicle in Takanini.
The group of at least eight were then seen breaking into and stealing two more vehicles before fleeing south towards Waikato.
She said two stolen vehicles were spotted exiting at the Te Kauwhata off-ramp where one of the vehicles was spiked by police.
They then changed direction and headed back to Auckland on State Highway 1 towards Waitematā, she said.
"Police deployed spikes north of the Johnstones Hill Tunnel while the vehicle was travelling in a northerly direction."
A group of eight teens and children, some as young as 11, were involved in a dramatic cross-country crime dash in stolen vehicles that saw a motorist injured and a police officer hit. Photo / File
That's when the driver tried to avoid police before driving into an officer on the side of the road, she said.
"The stolen vehicle has stopped prior to the spikes upon being sighted by the driver. At this point, the stolen vehicle has turned towards the officer, who was situated to the side of the motorway in the median strip, and driven towards him, striking his arm and knocking him backwards.
"The officer received minor injuries and was lucky to escape serious harm due to his quick thinking in jumping away from the oncoming vehicle.
"The driver has attempted to manoeuvre the vehicle in a U-turn motion onto the southern lane of State Highway 1, however the vehicle was successfully spiked a second time."
The seven passengers have been referred to Youth Aid.
Police told the Herald the actions of the driver were "calculated and dangerous".
"The behaviour of this driver was incredibly dangerous and is unacceptable.
"Our staff come to work to keep our community safe, and do not deserve to be the subject of such calculated and dangerous actions, as displayed by this offender."
The cross country crime dash came just hours after seven youths were arrested by police helicopter crew in Northland after fleeing police on the same day.
They were arrested for attempting to steal vehicles from members of the public on State Highway 1 in Wellsford.
After being spiked, seven youths ran from the stolen car and approached a queue of stationary vehicles that had been blocked by the youths' car parked across the road.
They were unsuccessful in their attempts to gain access into some of these vehicles and tried to make their escape in another vehicle.
With police ground staff still some distance away, the Eagle crew made a decision to land on farmland adjacent to the incident, just off SH1.
Two officers from the helicopter ran to the scene and took the seven youths into custody before they could escape again.
"I have no doubt that the actions of our Eagle crew prevented further offending being committed by these seven youths, who were intent on securing a second stolen vehicle - and undoubtedly fleeing again," said Inspector Jason Homan.
