Man in court after robbery, police chase crash

A man will appear in Timaru District Court today after a bank robbery and police pursuit yesterday ended in a crash that left an innocent motorist injured.

The 21-year-old Pleasant Point man allegedly held up the Temuka ANZ Bank branch about 10.30am, fleeing with an undisclosed sum before stealing a car from a nearby property.

A police pursuit of the car reached speeds of up to 140km/h and ended in Ashburton, 58km away, when the getaway car hit a stationary car, shunting it into another vehicle and injuring its occupant.

The suspect and his female passenger fled in opposite directions but both were caught with assistance from the public.

The suspect also allegedly pointed a pistol at a police officer early in the pursuit.

The man was charged with aggravated robbery, presenting a firearm at police, unlawfully taking a motor vehicle and failing to stop, Sergeant Grant Lord of Timaru police said.

He was likely to face further traffic and criminal charges.

Inquiries into the passenger's involvement were continuing.

- NZPA