Woman dies as driver flees police

File photo / Michael Craig

Blenheim police say a suspected drunk driver who killed another motorist after crashing last night was not being chased.

A 51-year-old woman was killed when another woman, 20, fled a police checkpoint and hit her vehicle in Blenheim last night.

Detective Richard Rolton said the motorist had been stopped at an alcohol checkpoint on Alfred Street about 9.45pm.

A passive breath test indicated she had been drinking and the woman was asked to pull to the side of the road to take a breath screening test.

"Before being able to carry out (the test), the driver accelerated away from the checkpoint," Mr Rolton said.

"Police at the checkpoint attempted to follow the vehicle which went out of sight before they could signal it to stop."

However, District Commander Superintendent Gary Knowles said there was no police pursuit involved.

The Police Association also told One News it was confident it was not a police chase.

"Even if it was a pursuit which it wasn't, it still doesn't exonerate the blame from the motorist...that's where the blame starts and finishes. As it was, it wasn't a pursuit," spokesman Greg O'Connor said.

Officers found the car about 400m down the road at a roundabout on Hutcheson and Nelson Streets.

They went to help the driver of the second vehicle but she had suffered fatal injuries.

It was believed the driver of the first car was taken to Wairau Hospital.

Police said they had spoken with a number of people in the area and were calling for any witnesses to get in touch.

The scene was cordoned off overnight ahead of an examination by the serious crash unit today.

- NZPA