Police cleared over fatal Timaru chase crash

Police were not to blame for the tragic ending of a pursuit in Timaru last year, but the incident has raised concerns about whether officers have sufficient guidance when giving chase, an independent investigation found.

Vianne Shead, 18, was killed in the early hours of February 9, 2008 when the driver of the car she was riding in crashed while trying to escape police.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report said an officer tried to pull the car over in Timaru to conduct a breath test but the 18-year-old male driver sped off.

He reached speeds up to 150km/h during the 17-minute chase which ended when he failed to take a sharp bend marked at 35km/h in a rural area.

The car went over a 15 metre bank and landed upside down in a field.

Ms Shead, who had been lying across the legs of three backseat passengers, died of her injuries at Timaru Hospital. Another passenger suffered a serious neck and shoulder injury, a third received a moderate eye injury and three others escaped with only minor injuries.

The driver is awaiting a court date to face a manslaughter charge and five counts of reckless driving causing death or injury.

The IPCA found the pursuing officer had never gone closer than 50m to the car, so as to avoid pressuring the driver. At the time of the accident the patrol car had dropped back to 1km.

"The actions of the officers involved were lawful, and the decisions to commence and continue the pursuit complied with policy," the report said.

However, the IPCA was concerned that "a pursuit which arising from a routine failure to stop had such a tragic outcome".

It said a review of police pursuits would be launched with a focus on whether current policy gave officers enough guidance on the justification for starting and continuing a chase.

Ms Shead's grandmother, Colleen Geddis told the Timaru Herald she had understood from the start the police response had been appropriate.

Since the crash police southern communications had introduced an "enhanced risk assessment procedure" aimed at helping officers follow guidelines during a pursuit.

The IPCA expressed its sympathy to the family and friends of Ms Shead.

- NZPA