The car came to a halt on the platform. Photo / Ben Ross
The car came to a halt on the platform. Photo / Ben Ross
The driver of a stolen vehicle who led police on a chase across Auckland before bursting onto the platform at the Middlemore train station is facing a raft of charges.
Police say the 31-year-old driver, who is hospital under guard but no longer in a serious condition, will be charged with:
• Failing to Stop • Endangering Transport • Resisting Police • Unlawfully taking a vehicle • Assault with a blunt instrument • Driving while suspended
The chase began shortly before 10.45am in Panmure and ended up with the driver being tasered at Middlemore station and needing treatment after having a medical event.
A man, who didn't want to be named, said he was driving home from Sylvia Park when the Honda Odyssey, came through traffic lights along the Ellerslie-Panmure Highway with its bumper dragging on the road behind it.
"There was this dreadful racket and my wife said 'what's that', then we saw this white minivan come through the lights with its bumper dragging on the road," he said.
"I looked in the rear view mirror and then the vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road and continued driving down there, weaving in and out."
He then saw police "making chase" from about half a kilometre back with flashing lights. This included about four police cars with flashing lights and another behind without its lights on that looked like a dog van, the man said.
The police weren't in hot pursuit but driving within the speed limit. "They were just driving, the sirens weren't going, just the lights were flashing."
The man said the minivan - while driving erratically - was travelling within the speed limit.
"It wasn't foot to the floor. But they had this bumper dragging behind."
He said he was surprised to hear the minivan ended up at Middlemore station because that was about 4km-5km away from where he saw the vehicle.
The car's driver began fleeing from police after officers noticed it as being stolen and the force's Eagle helicopter was called in monitored it from overhead.
The vehicle then continued driving dangerously across East Auckland, where the driver was observed swerving lanes and driving into oncoming traffic.
It then traveled through Mt Wellington and Otahuhu, where at one point it collided with a member of the public's vehicle at the intersection of Atkinson Ave and Princes St.
Fortunately the occupants of the other vehicle were not injured.
Inspector Duncan Hall said the driver then continued to flee and drove onto the Middlemore train station platform.
Police then moved in to arrest the four occupants of the car and tasered the driver, Hall said.
The damaged white people-mover vehicle with a shredded tyre on the station platform.
"Due to an emergency services call-out there are no train services operating via Middlemore Hospital. Further updates to follow," Auckland Transport said.
Trains across the Eastern and Southern train lines were initially delayed or cancelled due to the incident.
Southern line services have since resumed using platform 2 at Middlemore for travel towards Britomart and Papakura.
Eastern line services are terminating at Otahuhu, with bus replacements operating between Otahuhu and Manukau.
UPDATE: Southern line services are operating to a 20 timetable and will use platform 2 at Middlemore for travel towards Britomart & Papakura. Eastern line services are terminating at Otahuhu. Bus replacement will operate between Otahuhu & Manukau.https://t.co/KrrdBOaE27
Due to an emergency services call out there are no train services operating via Middlemore Hopsital. Further updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/vpOekCgLrW
