PHOTO: REBECCA RYANA police chase which ended in a fatal crash outside Oamaru should have been abandoned earlier, the independent police watchdog says. "When the offending vehicle failed to stop, the patrol unit pursued the fleeing driver from a distance," an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) decision said. A police spokeswoman said a revised fleeing driver policy released in December last year prioritised safety over immediate apprehension. "When a fleeing driver is not apprehended at the time, police officers conduct follow-up investigations ... to identify the vehicle and apprehend the driver at a later time. Follow-up investigations have proven successful so although we may not apprehend a fleeing driver immediately, we will."

Source: Otago Daily Times February 19, 2021 15:22 UTC