Police officers rammed by drunk getaway driver

File photo.

Two police officers had their patrol car rammed by another car they had chased, then lost, on the streets of Te Kuiti early yesterday.

The officers were following the car full of six people they had seen leaving the Te Kuiti Hotel, Te Kuiti sub-area manager Senior Sergeant Rob Van Kalken said.

When the pair tried to pull the car over, its driver sped away quickly and the officers gave chase. They soon called the pursuit off, due to the "reckless nature of the offending driver", Mr Van Kalken said.

During the chase, the car being pursued was heavily damaged, losing its front wheel.

After losing their quarry, the officers saw "sparks flying and the car heading towards them" while at an intersection. The car smashed into the side of the police car, triggering its air bags and shaking up the officers.

Unhurt, the two officers subdued and arrested the six occupants of the vehicle using pepper spray and helped by off-duty reinforcements.

When breath-tested, the driver blew over two and a half times the legal limit, Van Kalken said.

The driver faces charges of dangerous and reckless driving, failing to stop and driving with excess breath alcohol.

The driver told police he fled because he had a previous drink drive conviction.

Further charges against the other occupants of the car were likely.

- NZPA