Street sting busts racers
It’s 10.30pm and the streets of Te Rapa straight are lined with street racers.
Drivers rev while onlookers of all ages mill around on the footpaths, waiting for some action. A matt-black Holden Commodore screams past. The driver, a young guy with priors, has a temporary licence but his car is legal. He gets off with a warning and stern request to ‘‘head home’’ by police.
It’s not long before the crowds tweak to police presence and cars scatter. A convoy heads south, cruising the straight Waikato roads to the next hotspot.
Heading down Telephone Rd to the Holland Rd intersection the smell of burning rubber fills the air. Skid marks light the way.
Dozens of cars line the banks of the
RESULTS
Compulsory Breath Tests: Mobile breath test: Breath Screen negative: Excess Breath Test/BLOOD: Vehicles tested: Vehicle seized: Driver suspended: Infringement notices: Other arrests: 100km/h zone and bunches of bystanders watch on.
In the middle of the highway the black Holden fills the air with smoke, skidding out to stop by police. This time there is no warning for the driver who is handcuffed and put in the back of a patrol car. His vehicle impounded.
A truckie travelling a regular late night route is forced to navigate through a mirage of cheering crowds and parked up cars.
Nearby police yell to another man, sipping on a can, to get off the train tracks moments before a train rumbles past.
A half hour is spent herding crowds, checking vehicles and issuing tickets before car enthusiasts finally get the picture and head off to the next hotspot.