Police should not have pursued biker - IPCA

A motorcyclist died following a crash in the Bay of Plenty on March 16. File photo

A police officer should not have pursued a fleeing motorcyclist who soon after crashed and died, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found.

The officer was pursuing the motorcyclist in Whakatāne in Bay of Plenty on March 16.

Soon after the officer abandoned the pursuit, the motorcyclist crashed and died at the scene.

The authority’s findings said the officer recorded the motorcycle rider travelling at 115km/h in a 60km/h zone and signalled for him to stop, however, the man continued riding on State Highway 30.

The officer followed the motorcyclist for 5km with lights and sirens on, at speeds of 140km/h to 160km/h, before abandoning the pursuit.

About a kilometre later, the motorcyclist attempted to pass a car on a sweeping bend and crashed head-on with an oncoming car.

The authority found the officer should not have pursued the motorcyclist and should have abandoned sooner.

He did not adequately consider the risks associated with chasing a motorcycle travelling at high speeds, which outweighed the seriousness of the offence and the necessity to apprehend him immediately.

The authority found the officer failed to comply with policy when starting the pursuit, by not stopping as soon as he could after abandoning, and by not communicating with the emergency communications centre during the pursuit.

On the available evidence, the authority was unable to conclude that the officer’s actions caused the motorcyclist’s fatal crash.

The fleeing driver policy did not explicitly include the use of motorcycles as a consideration, and the authority recommended this be included as a known risk, with pursuits only made in the most extreme circumstances.

The authority recommended police include the use of motorcycles as a known risk in policy, and that any decision to pursue a motorcyclist should only be made in the most extreme circumstances.

Police respond to findings

Bay of Plenty district commander Superintendent Tim Anderson said in a statement the officer was doing their best in the circumstances, and was affected by the outcome.

“As noted by the IPCA, the officer was no longer pursuing the motorcyclist at the time of the crash and had earlier turned off his lights and sirens, and there is no evidence to suggest the officer’s actions caused the crash.”

He said the officer had signalled the motorcyclist to stop, believing the speeding presented a risk to the motorcyclist and other road users.

“The officer was absolutely correct in this regard and did the right thing by attempting to stop the motorcyclist, who was travelling at almost twice the speed limit when initially observed by the officer,” Anderson said.

He said people who fail to stop for police put their own lives and others’ lives at serious risk.

“If you’re signalled to stop by police the onus is always on the driver, or rider in this case, to pull over and stop.”

Director road policing Superintendent Steve Greally said police noted the IPCA’s recommendations and would consider them when implementing future revisions to the fleeing driver policy.

-Bay of Plenty Times

 

4 comments

Keep Chasing

Posted on 12-12-2024 06:32 | By Thats Nice

The above article states that the police did stop the chase. The lesson here is to not run from the police, and they should continue to chase until they catch people. If people think they've got a chance to get away, they will most certainly take it.


@ Thats Nice

Posted on 12-12-2024 13:21 | By Yadick

I totally agree with your comment.
The pursuing Officer did NOT cause this crash. The offender should have pulled over and stopped. If he had, he would still be alive today and family and friends would not be grieving the loss.
I disagree with the IPCA findings. The Officer was doing his job. The offender made the choices that led to the tragedy.


cycle crash

Posted on 12-12-2024 14:39 | By Anne

Hog wash! The police did the correct thing and stopped the pursuit. The motorcycle driver was still breaking the law and crashed. Setting a system of not following means if you can outrun your home free. Not good for the general public.
We won't have it in the Bay of Plenty.


Outrageous

Posted on 12-12-2024 17:00 | By morepork

The rider's death is tragic for the family, but it is completely wrong to disapprove of a police officer doing their job. How can we expect our Police to uphold the Law and protect the public if we are not supporting them in the difficult part of their job? Reading this report, the crash was AFTER the officer had stopped pursuing. How can the officer's action be blamed for this? It is really nobody's fault except the person on the bike. Teach your kids respect for the Law, and to stop when they see red and blue.


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