An extended police chase came to a halt in Te Awamutu after police deployed road spikes to stop a runaway driver.
Police tried to pull over the 26-year-old motorist, who was speeding, on Kihikihi Rd at 11:30 on Tuesday morning. When he failed to stop, police gave chase.
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This led to a high-speed pursuit through the centre of the Waikato town, with video taken by witnesses showing both the driver and police weaving in and out of traffic.
Te Awamutu's main shopping centre was busy with lunchtime shoppers and workers, but fortunately no one was injured.
Senior sergeant Phil Ruddell says police made "various attempts to get him to stop".
At one point the driver crashed his white Mitsubishi into a parked vehicle on Bank Rd. He also drove through the forecourt of a busy petrol station, NZME reports.
The chase lasted half an hour, coming to a sudden stop on Teasdale St thanks to some successfully deployed road spikes.
The driver tried to flee the scene but was caught by an officer with a dog. He was arrested and charged with offences related to driving and methamphetamine.
He will appear in Hamilton District Court on Wednesday.
Newshub.
