Fleeing driver killed in fiery crash named

Medics attend to the cyclist who was hit by a fleeing driver and left "lying in the gutter". Photo / Stuart Munro

The man who died when his car crashed into a truck during a police chase has been named.

He was Calum John Meyer, aged 25, of Whanganui.

Yesterday, Mr Meyer hit a cyclist with his car and fled the scene. While attempting to evade police, his car hit a truck and caught fire.

Inspector Mark Harrison told the Wanganui Chronicle that police had attempted to pull Mr Meyer over that morning, but the car fled police and hit the cyclist "seconds later".

He continued to flee and was seen heading out of town, before returning to Whanganui where police had set up road spikes.

Mr Meyer smashed into a culvert to avoid one set of spikes, then accelerated for a further 2km where more spikes had been laid out.

"In a further attempt to avoid the spikes, the vehicle has driven into a large truck which was stationary on Tayforth Rd," Inspector Harrison said.

The cyclist was taken to hospital with "non life-threatening" injuries. The driver of the truck, which was stationary at the time, was shaken but not injured.

Police are continuing to investigate this incident.