Man crashes into off-duty officer

A young man's night went from bad to worse when he crashed into a car near Napier early this morning, only to find the driver was an off duty police officer.

Senior Sergeant Greg Brown of Napier police said the offending vehicle had crossed the centre line, colliding with the constable's private car about 3am on State Highway 15.

While everyone escaped injury, both cars were badly damaged.

Mr Brown said the 20-year-old driver and his two passengers immediately ran off.

"The off duty constable has caught one of the passengers and a police dog has tracked the driver who, depending on blood results and things like that, may face charges."

- NZPA