Dashcam footage of a policeman pulling a U-turn in front of a truck on State Highway 1 near Tirau on Thursday. Video / Supplied
A policeman is being spoken to about a U-turn he made in front of a truck – later blamed on “red mist” – which forced the driver to slam on his brakes, but it is unlikely he will be charged.
The truck driver, who did not want to be named, captured dashcam footage of the close-call on State Highway 1 near Tīrau, showing the policeman parked on the opposite side of the road, suddenly pulling out and turning around in front of his moving vehicle.
A police spokesman said: “The driver has been identified and will be spoken to as part of our inquiries. We’re unable to comment further while those enquiries are ongoing”.
The truck driver complained to police about the incident, which happened on Thursday, saying he wanted the officer driving the patrol car to be held accountable.
“Something has to be done about this, not just an apology. If anybody else was to do this, there would be repercussions, not just a talking-to.”
In his police report, the truck driver said the dangerous manoeuvre “caused me to nearly T-bone him. Lucky I was in an empty truck. Had I been fully loaded, he would have been hit”.
Dashcam footage from SH1 near Tirau showing a policeman doing a U-turn in front of a truck. Photo / Supplied
“I had to slam my brakes on, locking them up from 90km/h down to 40km/h to avoid the collision.
“This is unacceptable. I don’t want to have to go home knowing I have killed somebody – this easily could have been the outcome.”
Senior Sergeant Phil Ruddell, the Waikato road policing team leader, picked the report up, and after struggling to figure out the officer involved, eventually identified him and told the constable’s superior.
Ruddell told the truck driver “a conversation was had and the video was shown to the constable”, copies of their correspondence showed.
“He is a senior member who has recently returned to road policing.
“He was very apologetic for his actions and the danger he placed you in.
“He states the cars coming from behind him had stopped and he misjudged your position.”
Ruddell then speculated the constable’s judgment may have been impaired by frustration at another motorist’s dangerous driving.
“I think he saw a bit of ‘red mist’ with the Suzuki Swift he stopped which he had speed-checked at 137km/h and which was passing on yellow lines.”
Then Ruddell said: “We all need a reminder occasionally that our actions can greatly impact others.”
“As such, I have been showing your video to some of the junior staff new to road policing to help explain the risks to consider in their decision-making.”
Ruddell then told the driver it was unlikely the constable would be convicted.
“When I first received this matter, I considered possible outcomes. The only option would be to charge the police driver with dangerous driving.
“However, before police can lay a charge, we must consider the Solicitor-General[’s] guidelines, which state there must be a reasonable likelihood of a conviction before a charge can be laid.
“I believe that it is unlikely a conviction would be entered. What I will do is take this incident to the Waikato district driving panel to consider. This is a panel of senior police staff, sworn and non-sworn, who consider options when police are involved in crashes.”
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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