Teen crashes stolen vehicle while fleeing police

Photo / File

A teenage boy has escaped injury after crashing a stolen vehicle while fleeing from police and trying to avoid road spikes in Northland.

Dargaville police began to pursue the 16-year-old after he failed to stop for them about 3.15pm yesterday.

The pursuit was abandoned a short time later because of the of the driver's dangerous driving, a police spokeswoman said.

Road spikes were then placed on the southern side of the Northern Wairoa Bridge.

The driver travelled over the bridge at speed, noticed the spikes and tried to avoid them, she said.

"He then swerved, lost control and the vehicle came to rest on its roof in a drain."

There were two people in the vehicle. The passenger received minor injuries and the driver was uninjured.

A 16-year-old faces charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, dangerous driving causing injury and failing to stop.

He was to appear in the Whangarei Youth Court today.