Policeman's flock of sheep helped end 90-minute car chase in New Zealand

Four people have been charged after a car chase was brought to a close by a Queenstown police officer's flock of sheep. The sheep were being moved along Littles Rd on Friday morning when they became the road block finishing a 90 minute police car chase through Central Otago and Queenstown. Senior Sergeant Paula Enoka, of Queenstown, said the mob belonged to a local officer and happened to be in the right place at the right time.



They were being moved by a farm worker, who appeared unfazed by the scene unfolding behind him and carried on with the job. None of the sheep, or working dogs, were injured as the car came to a halt before attempting to drive through the flock. The car had a bare rim after hitting police road spikes earlier. Two men, aged 19 and 23, have been charged with reckless driving, failing to stop for flashing lights, three thefts in relation to petrol driveoffs and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.





A boy and girl, both aged 14, have been charged with three thefts in relation to petrol driveoffs and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle. "Not only did they place themselves in danger by continuing to flee police, but they put a large number of other motorists in danger on the roads due to the distance that they travelled," she said. Enoka said the chase started when police tried to pull over a Honda Integra near Alexandra shortly before 8am because it was speeding and had no number plates.

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The driver sped off and was followed by police as he continued driving in excess of the speed limit from south of Alexandra through the Cromwell and Kawarau gorges to Queenstown and then around the Wakatipu Basin, between Queenstown and Arrowtown, she said. Several police cars were involved in the chase and road spikes were deployed in several locations. One set deflated the right front tyre but the driver continued. Enoka praised motorists who found themselves unexpectedly involved, for allowing police to do their job. The officer who owned the sheep declined to comment and police declined to say where the group were from.