One person has been taken into custody after a fleeing driver incident involving an 18-tonne front-end loader early Sunday morning.
Just before 1am, police received reports of a front-end loader driving around the streets of Masterton.
Wairarapa Area Commander Richard Wilson said a police unit signalled for the front-end loader on the road to stop.
"The loader has failed to stop for police and, eventually, drove erratically through a fence into the Masterton Showgrounds.
Wilson said that given the size and power of the industrial front-end loader, it made for a potentially dangerous situation for the public and police and "put all Masterton residents’ properties at risk".
Police said would like to remind anyone who owned large industrial machinery to take all steps to ensure the vehicles couldn’t be easily stolen. "For example, installing kill switches; having the machinery kept in secure compounds; and removing the keys when not in use."
One of the alleged occupants of the vehicle was taken into custody at the scene, while two other people were being sought.
Charges were being considered and police are continuing to make inquiries.
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