Constable Scott Agnew had just finished writing a ticket about 12.55pm yesterday when a Holden Commodore came "screaming down the Southern Motorway" at more than double the legal speed limit.
"It was an absolutely crazy, idiotic speed.
"There are a lot of people on that motorway at 1pm on a weekday - a crash at that speed would have been catastrophic."
The vehicle was then located at a car park in Rolleston, where police found two witnesses yelling at the suspected driver while he checked a damaged wheel.
"This was a horrendous speed, putting other road users at extreme risk.
He’s very lucky, as are all the other people who were on that road with him," Const Agnew said.
"As a driver, the decisions you make impact not only you and those in your vehicle, but everyone else on the road around you."
An 18-year-old Christchurch man is due to appear in court on a charge of dangerous driving.
His car has been impounded for 28 days and his licence will be suspended.
