Driver who flees dies in later crash

A man who fled police after being pulled over has died in a subsequent two-car crash near Kuku in Horowhenua on Tuesday afternoon.

Shortly before the crash, police signalled for a vehicle to stop, and an officer approached the vehicle to speak to the driver.

But the driver fled the scene, driving at speed south along State Highway 1, police said.

Police did not pursue the driver, but a short time later came across a crash at the intersection of SH1 and Kuku Beach Rd near Manakau shortly before 1.30pm.

The driver of the vehicle police had stopped died at the scene.

The driver of the other vehicle appeared uninjured but was transported by ambulance to hospital for observation, police said.

The road was closed while the scene was examined. Police have identified the driver, as 43-year-old Steven Hoani Bunyan of O¯ taki.

NZTA said the road was reopened by 4.30pm, but there were delays in both directions all afternoon.

Police officers were last year instructed to change their approach to fleeing drivers, only pursuing them if there was a threat before the start of the pursuit and a need for immediate arrest.

Figures show more than 30,000 police pursuits took place between 2008 and 2019, resulting in hundreds of crashes and 79 deaths.

They also show both pursuits and crashes are most likely to happen at night.

The majority of fleeing drivers are young males, many of whom are driving stolen cars.