'Extensive' search underway for pair who fled into river from police
Police are conducting an extensive search for two men who fled a vehicle and jumped into the Otara River near Ōpōtiki. The incident began after the driver failed to stop for officers, leading to a pursuit and the deployment of road spikes.
Why it matters
This highlights ongoing public safety concerns and the risks associated with high-speed police pursuits.
An "extensive" search and rescue operation is underway for two men who jumped into a river near Ōpōtiki early this morning after the car they were in failed to stop for officers. The driver ran a red light in the Wainui area at around 3.45am and failed to stop when signalled by police. Road spikes were then deployed to stop the vehicle. Duty Inspector Phil Edwards said the car came to a halt after spikes were deployed. "Road spikes were successfully deployed about 10km from Ōpōtiki shortly after 4am, before the vehicle came to a stop down Snell Road, by the Otara River," he said.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in