Police say critically injured officer is young dad, fleeing teens aged 14 and 15
A young police officer remains in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle driven by two teenagers attempting to evade police spikes near Palmerston North, New Zealand. The suspects are in custody, and the incident has sparked a discussion on police safety and youth crime.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the risks faced by law enforcement during high-stakes encounters with juvenile offenders.
A police officer who was critically injured when he was struck by a car driven by teens aged 14 and 15 as they tried to avoid road spikes is a young dad who only graduated in December 2024, a police boss said.
Central District Commander Superintendent Dion Bennett told media the officer – who is still on a ventilator in Wellington Hospital with family at his bedside – was “a fantastic young man”.
The policeman and a second officer were struck just after 2am when the teens – who’d fled after failing to pull over for police on Amberley Ave, but weren’t being chased – swerved to avoid the spikes on Kairanga Bunnythorpe Rd near Palmerston North and “shunted a police car out of the way” before striking the two officers.
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