Driver switches cars mid-pursuit

A driver has led police on an 80-kilometre pursuit before switching vehicles and ramming two police cars, then evading officers.

A police spokeswoman said a suspicious car was spotted outside Christchurch Boys’ High School, in the suburb of Fendalton, just before 7am yesterday.

It ‘‘fled at speed’’ when police tried to stop it and took officers on a pursuit to Darfield, a distance of about 42km, before leading them back into the city.

Back in the city, police abandoned the pursuit ‘‘due to the manner of driving’’. But more chaos ensued.

‘‘The offenders have got into another vehicle in the Totara St area, and when police have attempted to stop this vehicle, the driver has rammed two police vehicles,’’ the spokeswoman said.

No police officers were injured and the pursuit was called off.

‘‘Police are following lines of inquiry to locate the vehicle and driver.’’

The first vehicle in the chase, a van,

‘‘When police have attempted to stop this vehicle, the driver has rammed two police vehicles.’’

Police spokeswoman

might have been stolen, the spokeswoman said. It was unclear exactly how many people were being sought by police.

Yesterday’s pursuit was one of a series in Christchurch in a week.

Last Sunday night, 16-year-old Glen Mcallister, his brother, Craig Mcallister, and friend Brooklyn Taylor, both 13, died when their car crashed into a tree after a pursuit, erupting into a ball of fire.

On Wednesday, police chased a car through suburban Christchurch after its occupants allegedly stole petrol from a service station.

The car skidded and mounted the kerb before wiping out a bus stop and seat. The car was later found abandoned.