Investigation launched after police car crashes into Crown limo carrying Prime Minister Christopher Luxon

• A police car crashed into a Crown vehicle carrying the Prime Minister and Finance Minister in Wellington.
• The crash, described as a “minor nose-to-tail collision,” occurred on Cobham Drive at 3.30pm on Wednesday.
• No injuries were reported, and the Crown car sustained damage to its rear.

An investigation is under way after a police car crashed into the back of a Crown vehicle carrying Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis.

Officials confirmed the “minor nose-to-tail collision” happened in Wellington yesterday afternoon.

“No one was injured. The Crown car sustained damage to the rear of the vehicle” a Department of Internal Affairs spokeswoman said.

The crash did not involve any members of the public and no injuries have been reported by passengers of either of the official vehicles.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon with Finance Minister Nicola Willis, who were involved in a minor car crash yesterday. Photo / Mark Mitchell

A police spokesman confirmed to the Herald the crash happened at 3.30pm on Wednesday on Cobham Drive.

The waterfront stretch of State Highway One is the main route to Wellington Airport from the city.

Luxon is in Auckland today, where he told reporters he was “fine” and said Nicola Willis was also doing well.

“A very minor incident and all good.”

He described the crash as a “bit of a shock” and said he was unsure if the Crown limo will need to be written off.

The pedestrian crossing on State Highway One on Cobham Drive in Wellington. Photo/ Mark Mitchell

“An investigation has been launched following this incident, as per protocol”, the spokesman said.

A caller to Newstalk ZB’s Wellington Mornings show said he’d been “held-up” by the accident.

Craig told host Nick Mills a “silver Mercedes had been rear-ended at the roundabout by the netball stadium there”.

”There was a police car there, they were talking to two people in suits, definitely didn’t look like the Prime Minister but he could’ve been sitting in the car, I don’t know.

“The backlog went all the way back to the Mount Vic tunnel.”

Police have launched an investigation after a Crown car was struck by a police vehicle. Photo / Greg Bowker

According to the Department of Internal Affairs, as of September 2020 the Crown fleet had a total of 67 vehicles, 41% of which are electric-capable.

At the time, the BMW 7 series made up the bulk of the chauffeur-driven Crown fleet.

The vehicles are used to transport Government ministers, including the Prime Minister, as well as other Government VIPs.