Crimeline
Tourist’s handbag swiped at Hanley’s playground – Expensive items stolen
Police are appealing to the public for help after a woman’s handbag was stolen from the Hanley’s Farm Playground on Bannister Street around 4.35pm on Monday, 26 January.
Constable Amanda Shute says the offender left the area in a blue vehicle, which had been parked on Bannister Street, and the handbag was later located nearby. However, a number of items from inside the bag been taken, she says.
No further details were available from Police yesterday (28 January), but a concerned nearby resident who tried to help the victim of the theft and her friends says he believes they were Chinese visitors to the area.
He posted photos he says were captured by one of the women on the Jack’s Point and Hanley’s Farm Community Facebook page in a bid to help. He understood the bag contained the other two women’s iPhones, passports, credit cards, rental car keys and an expensive watch. “They were stuck as their car key was taken,” the resident says. He believes they got their passports, credit cards and car key back when the bag was found, but the rest was stolen.
More information should be available from Police today (29 January), but they’re appealing to the public for anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage in the Bannister Street area during the time of the incident to get in touch.
If you recognise the person pictured, or have any information, CCTV, or dashcam footage in relation to this incident, please contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking 'Update Report' or call 105.
Please use the reference number 260127/4916.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 0800 555 111.
Fire bosses concerned about crashes
Firefighters have been called to multiple vehicle crashes around the wider Wakatipu in recent weeks, involving overseas tourists and Kiwi drivers often impatient to pass and get to their destinations, prompting warnings from FENZ bosses.
Fire and Emergency NZ Otago Lakes Group assistant commander Nic McQuillan says their Frankton and Kingston volunteer fire crews have been called out multiple times in the last few weeks, as have Queenstown crews, and Glenorchy volunteers were also called out a few times in that period. “There appears to be some pretty bad driving out there, so we’re urging people to take care and not assume that others will always be driving safely,” McQuillan says.
There have been injuries, but, thankfully, no fatalities, which he believes is “probably due to chance rather that good driving”.
Hotspots appear to be the southern end of the Devil’s Staircase where drivers seem to get more and more frustrated heading south if they’re unable to pass those travelling slowly in front, McQuillan says. “Remember to be kind if a tourist or someone else is going slow in front of you,” McQuillan says. “Luckily, we’ve had no fatalities.”
He says he echoes Police concerns about driver behaviour – tourists and Kiwis, between Queenstown and Milford.
There have also been a number of crashes at Gibbston and around Arrow Junction, as well as a few on the Glenorchy Road, he says.
“Stay in your lane. Stay left!”
He says they’ve attended too many accidents in which drivers have allegedly been travelling in the wrong lane. “Be mindful of others.”
Auckland driver allegedly flees Police narrowly missing vehicle
A 30-year-old Auckland man has been charged after allegedly fleeing Police at speed on Hallenstein Street heading towards Gorge Road travelling on the wrong side of the road, narrowly missing another vehicle, just after 1pm on Tuesday, 27 January, Shute says.
When Police stopped the man on Hallenstein Street checks revealed he allegedly had a warrant out for his arrest. After allegedly speeding off and almost colliding with another vehicle she says the man allegedly
failed to give way, continuing along Gorge Road at speed and weaving through traffic. He was located later that evening, arrested and charged with escaping Police custody, failing to remain stopped for an enforcement officer – third and subsequent, and reckless driving. He was to appear in court yesterday (28 January).
Vehicle crashes
A 42-year-old Queenstown man has been charged with careless driving causing injury after a vehicle collision in Goldfield Heights at 4pm on Friday, 23 January, Shute says. The driver had been dropping off passengers when they allegedly collided with a parked car, the impact injuring two passengers who required treatment at Lakes District Hospital. The man will appear in the Queenstown District Court on 30 January.
A 30-year-old Queenstown woman also allegedly lost control of her vehicle and crashed into a house at Hanley’s Farm just after 1pm on Thursday, 22 January. Shute says the driver had attempted to turn right around a roundabout but was allegedly travelling too fast to maintain control and crashed, causing minor damage to the vehicle and damage to the exterior wall and window of the house. She was given a written traffic warning for careless driving.
Another driver allegedly attempted to overtake a truck at 3pm last Wednesday, 21 January, just after the Shotover Country roundabout at Ladies Mile where the two lanes merge. Shute says the vehicle allegedly failed to complete the manoeuvre and collided with the front right-hand side of the truck. This caused the vehicle to slide sideways and down into a bush on the side of the road. Nobody was injured and the driver was issued with an infringement notice.
Drink driving:
An 18-year-old Queenstown man also blew 476mcg when stopped on Gorge Road at 12.40am on Thursday, 22 January. Court 30 January.
