A dangerous driver is headed to court after he drove on the wrong side of State Highway 1 at excessive speeds before crashing in Auckland overnight.
At around 3.15am, Police received multiple reports of a northbound vehicle travelling the wrong way on the Northern Motorway near Northcote.
Senior Sergeant Carl Fowlie, Waitematā North Area Response Manager, says motorway cameras observed the vehicle driving at high speeds near Oteha Valley Road, Albany.
"Police units were deployed to the area, but with the vehicle reaching speeds upwards of 160kmh, officers did not pursue.
"Units followed the vehicle at a safe distance from the correct side of the motorway," Senior Sergeant Fowlie says.
The vehicle continued travelling north in the southbound lane on SH1, before it struck a barrier near the Puhoi on-ramp and crashed down a bank.
"Police promptly arrived on the scene and located the driver uninjured, and he was taken into custody."
Senior Sergeant Fowlie says this incident could have ended in tragedy.
"It is extremely lucky no one was injured or killed as a result of the driver's dangerous actions."
A 53-year-old man has been summonsed to appear in North Shore District Court on 13 May for recklessly operating a motor vehicle.
