An Acting Police Sergeant is in Waikato Hospital about to undergo surgery after being injured when a fleeing driver, who failed to stop for other officers, crashed into his patrol car.
Waikato Road Policing Manager, Inspector Leo Tooman, said attending ambulance staff told Police it was a miracle the officer escape with just a broken femur.
"The officer was driving to assist other officers searching for a stolen car seen in the east of Hamilton about 3.40pm.
"The officers who originally saw the stolen vehicle carried out a u-turn intending to stop it but by the time they completed the manoeuvre the car was gone and they called for additional staff to assist in finding it."
Mr Tooman said the offenders' car was located again a short time later by another Police patrol and was being followed around Claudelends when the offenders' car turned off Fairfield Rd, going around a roundabout the wrong way, went up a side street and back on to Woodstock Rd.
"The patrol car the sergeant was driving was turning into the other end of Woodstock Rd when the offender's car has collided with it in a 'T-bone' style crash.
"Initial indications on the incident indicate that all appropriate procedures were followed and one of the priorities now will be in establishing if the offenders' car was driven into the patrol car deliberately, as witnesses indicated to us."
The three juvenile passengers in the car were apprehended by responding officers but the 15-year-old driver tried unsuccessfully to flee the scene and was arrested.
"A female officer travelling in the damaged patrol car suffered minor bruising, a number of our staff including this Constable, have been shaken by what has happened and we are working to establish the appropriate support for these officers as well as the injured sergeant.
"The Waikato Serious Crash Unit is currently carrying out an analysis of the scene and the Independent Police Conduct Authority will be notified of events. In accordance with standard procedures when dealing with incidents such as this the investigation will also be peer-reviewed by an independent, out of district crash investigator."
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