Watch: Casual driver caught on camera leading police on high-speed chase through Manurewa

A motorist has been caught on camera sucking on a cigarette with one hand on the wheel while half a dozen police cars are in hot pursuit.

Contractor Bryce Ongley caught the scene on camera in Manurewa, Auckland, this morning, describing the driver as "Mr Cool".

"As he was cruising around the corner, he had one hand on the steering wheel, another leaning on the window, and was just sucking away on a cigarette, calm as anything.

"I have seen police chases in the past, and the driver always looks on edge. But this guy was 'Mr Cool'. I'll never forget the look on his face."

The driver of the grey Mazda can be seen puffing on a cigarette as police are in hot pursuit. Photo / Bryce Ongley

The woman in the passenger seat did not look as calm, he said.

"She had both hands over her face, and looked embarrassed to be there.

"She must have been telling him to pull over. She looked so embarrassed."

Ongley was driving down Christmas Rd in Manurewa towards Mahia Rd at about 8.40am when he heard sirens getting louder and louder.

"So I pulled over, then a grey car came speeding down the road, and not far behind was a single police car.

"It must have done a U-turn as it came flying down again. At that stage there were two unmarked and two marked police cars. The sirens were just going on and on.

"The third time around he came hooning down Mahia Rd and took a wide turn onto Christmas Rd. I thought he was going to roll."

A police car had pulled up on the opposite side of the road at this stage, waiting for the grey Mazda to come back.

"I saw one of the officers get her road spikes out and she was yelling at her partner asking which way he was coming."

Police pursue the driver of a grey Mazda in Manurewa this morning. Photo / Bryce Ongley

As the driver came back down Christmas Rd he took a wide turn around the parked police car, and the police officer can be seen in the video about to launch the spikes, before quickly pulling back.

"She was too late to run the spikes in front of the car. Besides, if she did I thought he would have lost control and come straight at me," Ongley said.

After that the driver disappeared back up the road.

"He was just going round and round in circles. He wasn't very clever," Ongley said.

He reckons the cars were going about 80km/h.

"When he first came past me with a police car right up behind him I could feel the car shake."

He thought the police did a good job.

"I thought it was pretty well coordinated. They were stopping vehicles getting on to the road, to stop the public getting hurt.

"I was lucky as I was already in the area."

At the peak there were about 10 police cars in pursuit, he said.

A police spokesman said they attempted to pull the vehicle over on Maich Rd, Manurewa, about 8.30am.

"The driver failed to stop and police engaged with the vehicle.

"The vehicle was allegedly speeding at about 80km/h in a 50km/h zone through the Maich Rd and Christmas Rd area, before it was successfully spiked by police."

The driver and two other occupants from the vehicle were taken into custody.

The 24-year-old driver had an outstanding warrant for arrest, in relation to breaching court release conditions, and would also face driving-related charges.

A female near the scene was also arrested for obstruction after interfering with police after the arrest.