Two people have been taken into custody after a Hawke's Bay driver attempted to evade police even as flames shot from their vehicle, finally being stopped after ramming two police cars.
Officers first spotted the vehicle on Clive St in Hastings shortly before 6.15pm on Sunday, recognising it as the same car involved in a separate fleeing driver incident the previous day.
Acting Senior Sergeant Matthew Wilkin said police signalled for the vehicle to stop but it drove off through rural areas and into Havelock North.
"Police successfully spiked the tires of the car, but the driver kept going despite the wheels sparking and car smoking and on fire, endangering other members of the public who were on the road."
A Flaxmere resident who watched events unfold from her street told 1News the ordeal went on for some time.
Police attempted to stop the vehicle, with video footage from the scene showing the car on fire after being spiked. (Source: Supplied)
"We first heard sirens, which is normal, but they weren't stopping. We could hear the rim on the road," she said.
She described watching the stricken car crawl past her home with around 10 police cars in pursuit, before the driver began circling the surrounding streets repeatedly.
Another resident said he was driving "pretty slow" around Flaxmere.
"It was like he just wanted the cops to follow him around and have a good time."
Wilkin said police finally closed in and blocked the vehicle in on Flaxmere Ave.
"In a desperate bid to flee the scene, the offender rammed two police patrol cars."
A 29-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were arrested.
Both had existing warrants for their arrest on separate matters and were now expected to face additional charges arising from the incident.
No injuries were reported, though the two rammed patrol cars sustained damage.
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