'Hoping for the best': How a police officer was left fighting for his life after a car struck him
A young police officer in New Zealand is in critical condition after being struck by a stolen vehicle driven by teenagers. The incident occurred during a police attempt to deploy road spikes to stop the fleeing car.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding youth crime and the dangers faced by law enforcement during high-speed pursuits.
A police officer is in a critical condition in Wellington Hospital after he was struck by a car, allegedly stolen in Palmerston North, and thrown several metres. National Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood reports on what is known so far.
It was about 2am on Saturday when a Palmerston North-based constable decided to use some road spikes in an attempt to stop what was believed to be a stolen car.
The officer, who has been in the police for less than two years, was behind his police car as he prepared to use the spikes at a driveway.
Moments later the car he was trying to stop travelled down Kairanga Bunnythorpe Rd in Manawatū on the wrong side of the road.
Police say the driver, a teenager, managed to avoid the spikes before striking a car, shunting it out of the way, and hitting two police officers.
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