The Alexandra-based rural drink-drive team, which travels across the Otago region, will be out in force this long weekend, carrying out checks on drivers and their vehicles and assisting local police. Balclutha reporter Helena de Reus joined the four-man police unit in Oamaru last weekend to see how the team operates.
A police pursuit early on Saturday proves drink-driving is not the only danger on our roads.
While heading back to the station for an early morning coffee break, the rural drink-drive team comes across an old red Daimler travelling towards Weston, and the decision is made to check the driver.
They signal for the male driver to stop. He ignores the flashing lights and puts his foot down.
With a muffled exclamation, the two officers in my car are spurred into action - one grabbing the radio relaying details to comms, the other focused on safely chasing the fleeing vehicle.
The driver of the fleeing car soon reaches speeds of up to 130kmh. It is a 70kmh zone, on the outskirts of Oamaru, a well-travelled route to Weston. Approaching the saleyards, the driver loses control, hitting a grassy bank and damaging a front tyre, but the car continues.
A dark cloud drifts back over the police car, almost overpowering with the stinging smell of burning rubber, and making it difficult to peer through the haze.
The car speeds off, carrying on to Weston Rd, and being driven on the wrong side of the road.
The man's dangerous manoeuvres are described to comms, and the pursuit is abandoned.
The search phase begins. Nearby units head inland towards Ngapara, looking for any sign of the offender.
The driver of a milk tanker heading towards Enfield tells police he saw the fleeing car heading in the same direction as the police car, about a minute ahead of it.
A few moments later, a shower of sparks appears in the distance.
It is the fleeing driver, who has lost his front tyre and is driving on the wheel rim, sending up a cascade of sparks.
A short time later, and after leaving gouges in the road, the car comes to a grinding halt.
The patrol car parks in front, and officers leap out as a second police vehicle appears behind.
Two more officers jump out and yell to the driver to get out of the vehicle. He is soon out of the car and on the ground, arrested and handcuffed.
A third car soon arrives, and an Oamaru sergeant assists the four members of the rural drink-drive team.
The five officers' fury at the young man's foolish actions is plain, but they restrain themselves, merely asking if he had considered the risk his driving had put others in.
The 1973 Daimler is not in a state to be driven. Only a thin strip of tyre remains wrapped around the wheel on the front driver's side. The rims are misshapen and partly ground down, a nearby front panel pushed in, the bumper twisted, and the right front indicator smashed.
The driver is interviewed by one of the officers.
Meanwhile, the scene is photographed, marked, and the vehicle searched. A tow-truck is on the way to retrieve the vehicle, and one by one the cars return to Oamaru Police Station as the smell of burning rubber lingers.
Over the next few hours, the 18-year-old man is processed as four charges are entered into the system, and he is photographed, fingerprinted, and a DNA sample taken. A court date is set. On Wednesday, Matthew John Webb (18), dairy worker, of Elderslie, pleaded guilty in the Oamaru District Court to driving recklessly after a police pursuit on October 19. He also pleaded guilty to failing to stop for police, driving while forbidden and possessing a cannabis pipe.
He was sentenced to 75 hours' community work and disqualified from driving for six months on the reckless driving charge, with an additional three-month cumulative disqualification period of three months for failing to stop.
On all other charges, he was convicted and discharged.
