Police forced the car to stop. Photo / Gisborne Herald
A teenage driver rammed a police car then stole the ute of someone who stopped to help him when his vehicle caught fire this morning.
Police say the driver fled after a man was arrested following reports of a burglary in Gisborne's Makaraka about 6am.
The police car was moderately damaged but no one was injured. One person ran from the offending vehicle. A 30-year-old man was arrested a short time later.
Detective Sergeant Kevin Ford said police chased the fleeing driver but abandoned the pursuit because of safety concerns.
Police said a member of the public stopped to help him but the offender then stole the Good Samaritan's vehicle and continued driving north.
SH2 was closed at various times while police tried to catch the fleeing driver.
He nearly reached Opotiki but then returned to Gisborne - a return trip of about 280km.
About 8.10am, the driver ran over police spikes at Otoko and the chase continued at slow speeds for another half hour before police forced the car to stop on SH2, just south of Waerenga-a-Hika at 8.45am.
No one was injured.
An 18-year-old man has been charged with b urglary, dangerous driving and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle. A 30-year-old man is helping police with their inquiries.