A man has died after crashing into Timaru police station at high speed following repeated attempts by police to stop the driver after he fled from them.
Aoraki Area Commander Inspector Vicki Walker said police spotted the man "driving erratically" in front of Timaru police station at about 10:45pm on Monday.
Police signalled for the driver to stop but he failed to do so before fleeing the scene.
"Police have pursued the vehicle for a brief period before the vehicle returned to outside the station, and the driver was spoken to by police from inside his vehicle before driving off again," Insp Walker said.
At this point, police started to get concerned for the man's welfare.
At 11:30pm, the driver was spotted on Barnard Street, which is the road next to where the police station is located, and officers attempted to stop the vehicle by spiking its tyres.
The vehicle then drove back towards the Timaru police station and struck the building at speed, which resulted in the driver dying at the scene.
Insp Walker said the Serious Crash Unit was called to the scene and enquiries into the crash are ongoing.
"Police will be working to support the man’s family today, along with our Timaru Police whānau," Insp Walker said.
The station will remain open Tuesday.
The man’s death has been referred to the Coroner and the IPCA has been notified.
