The police car smoking after it was crashed into. Photo / Supplied
A police car has been damaged after a car chase through a Rotorua suburb today.
Clayton Rd resident Kerris Browne was coming out the end of her driveway when she saw three police cars with a roadblock at the intersection of Clayton, Pukehangi and Paradise Valley Rds, she said.
Within a minutes, a car came "flying down", slammed through the roadblock and allegedly crashed into a parked police car.
"It completely smashed the front of it," she said.
Browne said the car carried on going down Pukehangi Rd and was being followed by four other police cars with sirens wailing.
A few minutes later, the sirens stopped.
A Pukehangi Rd witness said the car skidded behind him and crashed by the Blomfield Reserve.
A police spokeswoman said officers saw a suspicious vehicle on Alison St about 9.20am and signalled it to stop.
After the car allegedly failed to stop, police followed it to Pukehangi Rd, where it was then spiked, she said.
Despite this, the vehicle continued down the road before stopping, she said.
One person allegedly escaped on foot, while two others were taken into custody without further incident, she said.
Inquiries were ongoing to find the remaining offender
Fire and Emergency investigators believe the house fire was caused by fireworks.