Teens led police on 8-hour chase

Three children are in custody after an eight-hour series of police chases across the central North Island.

The 14-year-old male driver and his two companions, who were all in the care of Child, Youth and Family (CYF), allegedly stole a car in Hamilton in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Police first caught up with them in Tokoroa at 4.09am but the teens - the driver, another boy aged 14 and a 13-year-old girl - managed to outrun the patrol car.

Sergeant Russell O'Brien of the Taupo police said local patrols took over the pursuit but were forced to pull back after the stolen 1993 Toyota car reached speeds of up to 130km/h along Lake Terrace in the town.

"We pulled out because of the manner of the driving, and patrols carried on to set up road blocks at Turangi, but obviously they turned left onto State Highway 5 toward Napier," he said.

Traffic was light in the early hours of the morning but there were more than a few large trucks on the road, he said.

"Those kids are very lucky to be alive."

Senior Sergeant Mike O'Leary of the Hastings police said a highway patrol car spotted the teens again at 12.30pm in central Hawkes Bay.

"The patrol stayed at a distance just observing, and spikes were set up on the road before Otane, but unfortunately the driver then spotted the marked patrol car and turned off at Otane on State Highway 2," he said.

The subsequent chase towards Havelock North reached speeds of up to 140km/h, mostly on rural roads, he said.

Eventually the car ran over spikes on Middle Rd in Havelock North -- but even this did not stop the out-of-control driver.

The car continued another 10 to 15 minutes with three flat tyres until it was running on the bare rims.

In Southampton St East, the car ran over a small traffic island and made a sharp turn, but was eventually boxed in by two patrol cars and pushed to the side of the road, slamming into the back of a parked BMW.

No one was injured in the crash but there was minor damage to the two police cars and the BMW.

Mr O'Leary said the trio, who were all arrested, were "uncooperative". Two of the children were returned to CYF custody.

A 14-year-old boy from Hamilton was due to appear in court this morning charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, driving while forbidden, failing to stop, and a raft of other dangerous driving charges.

Mr O'Leary praised the "great team effort" of his force in bringing about a "good, safe result".

"We couldn't allow that car to get back on the highway -- for their sake and for the public's," he said. "The real potential was that they were going to kill someone."

- NZPA