Ten-tonne truck in high speed chase

A man who allegedly stole a 10-tonne truck and drove it at high speed from Whakatane to Tauranga will face a raft of driving charges, police said today.

Senior Sergeant Darryl Brazier of Tauranga police today described the long-distance chase as "real hillbilly stuff". Three children and a woman were also in the truck.

Mr Brazier said the truck, stolen from a car-yard in Whakatane yesterday evening, was driven at speeds in excess of 115km/h to Matata, 23km north-west of Whakatane.

The truck pulled over to the side of the road but the driver then reversed and twice rammed a police car which stopped behind him.

The truck then took off across a kiwifruit orchard and rejoined State Highway 2, driving over road spikes near Te Puke but still failing to stop.

Mr Brazier said the truck had driven on the wrong side of the road, and at speeds over 100km/h in a 50km/h area, before it finally stopped in Mt Maunganui. The driver, who was chased and stopped by a police dog, is now in Tauranga Hospital with dog bites.

The three children, aged five, seven and eight, are being looked after by relatives.

- NZPA