Police Officer Should Not Have Chased Motorcyclist Prior To Fatal Crash, Watchdog Finds

Police have accepted a Independent Police Conduct Authority report, over a fatal motorcycle crash in March, in Whakatane.

A motorcyclist was caught going nearly double the speed limit and pursued by a Police officer, before it was called off.

But the motorcyclist crashed along State Highway 30 and died soon after.

The Authority's found, the pursuit should not have happened and failed to follow Police's

'fleeing driver' policy

“He did not adequately consider the risks associated with pursuing a motorcycle travelling at high speeds,” the Authority said.

The IPCA said the risks “outweighed the seriousness of the offence and the necessity to apprehend him then and there.”

“The current 'fleeing driver' policy does not explicitly include the use of motorcycles as a consideration in fleeing driver events,” the IPCA said.

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

National Road Policing director, Superintendent Steve Greally said Police noted the IPCA’s recommendations and would consider them when implementing future revisions to the fleeing driver policy.

The IPCA said they were “unable to conclude that the officer’s actions caused the motorcyclist’s fatal crash.”

Bay of Plenty District Commander, Superintendent Tim Anderson, extended condolences to the family and loved ones of the rider who died.

But Anderson said there was no evidence to suggest the officer’s actions caused the crash.

“The officer had signalled the motorcyclist to stop as he considered the excessive speed the motorcyclist was travelling at clearly presented a significant risk to not only the motorcyclist himself, but to all other road users who were driving lawfully.”

The officer did the right thing by trying to stop the motorcyclist, Anderson said.