Early Saturday morning seven youths narrowly avoided a potentially disastrous situation after fleeing from police near Maraetai, Auckland.
Around 5 a.m., police noticed a suspicious vehicle, believed to be stolen, parked with its hazards on along Clevedon Road. The car was occupied by multiple youths.
According to Inspector Rakana Cook, Counties Manukau East Area Prevention Manager, when police activated their lights and sirens, the vehicle sped off toward Whitford Park Road.
Rather than engage in a high-speed pursuit, police deployed the Eagle helicopter to track the fleeing vehicle from above, noting it had a broken quarter light.
The pursuit ended when officers successfully spiked the vehicle’s tires on Murphys Road in Flat Bush, causing the car to come to a stop. The seven occupants, aged 14-17, fled on foot into a nearby paddock but were quickly apprehended without further incident.
“This situation could have ended much worse,” Inspector Cook said. “It’s extremely fortunate that no one was injured or killed. The reckless actions of this group could have had a catastrophic effect on our community.”
All seven youths have been referred to Youth Aid Services.
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