As put by Superintendent Dion Bennett, Central District Commander:
A Police officer is in a critical condition in hospital, following an incident overnight involving a fleeing driver near Palmerston North.
The driver had been signalled to stop about 2am on Amberley Avenue but allegedly fled.
Minutes later, the vehicle, which was not being pursued, hit a Police officer laying spikes on Kairanga Bunnythorpe Road. The officer suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Wellington Hospital, while a second officer was treated for minor injuries.
The vehicle’s two occupants, both young people, were arrested at the scene.
The Serious Crash Unit has carried out a scene examination and a section of the road remains closed.
A Police Critical Incident Investigation has been launched, and Police are working to understand the full circumstances of what occurred and notify relevant agencies.
This work will take time, and we will share information when we are in a position to do so.
In the meantime, we are wrapping support around the staff members involved and their whānau, as well as their colleagues.
