Crimeline: $250k car joyride
Night-time car thieves on the rampage
Police are warning ‘lock up’ with night-time car thieves striking around the Wakatipu again – a Porsche Taycan and Range Rover stolen in Arrowtown and valuables from a vehicle at Hanley’s Farm, all within the last 10 days.
The Taycan, the renowned German car manufacturer's electric flagship which sells for upwards of $250,000 when new, was taken for a joyride after being stolen from an Arrowtown property overnight on Sunday night - 6/7 July.
It was found abandoned in Dipton, Southland. Meanwhile, the white Range Rover has still not been recovered after being stolen, again from Arrowtown, last Thursday morning, 10 July. Police would like to hear from anyone with information as to its whereabouts.
In the latest hit a Hanley’s Farm Forage Road resident posted CCTV footage on social media of a brazen theft from his vehicle parked on his property at 11.40pm Friday, 11 July.
The offender, wearing a hoodie pulled up, clearly sneaked and snooped around the outside of the house. He then appears to be opening the car boot and taking items, before moving onto the next property – a newly-completed house which neighbours say is still unoccupied.
Other residents commenting on the community Facebook page post claim they’d noticed an increase in thefts, vandalism and even hit and run-style damage to vehicles.
The burglary was reported to Police and Constable Amanda Shute says enquiries are continuing to locate the offender. She says an unknown person entered the property and opened the boot of the vehicle parked outside and took a number of valuable items, but she would not disclose what.
“We urge people to lock their vehicles and remove all valuable items, and lock their houses,” she says. “Look out for your neighbours and if you know they’re away or see anything suspicious then report it to Police immediately.”
Another Forage Road neighbour, Marie Lorelie Abellanosa Romero, visiting her son, says a tyre flew off her son’s van recently, but fortunately he’d felt something amiss so was slowing to pull over on his way home from Frankton. He had her young grandson in the vehicle who was quite upset.
“When the tow truck guy came to tow it, he checked all of the tyres and said they were all loosened,” she says. “The guy at the tyre shop is our friend and assured he used the machine as he always does to tighten the tyres when fitting new ones recently.”
They’re left wondering if someone tampered with their vehicle. “All this is scary as we always park our car outside by the road.”
Drink driver crashes into parked vehicles
A 28-year-old Auckland man, who allegedly crashed into multiple parked vehicles in Fernhill shortly before midnight on Tuesday, has been charged with careless driving while Police await a blood alcohol level result. Police received a call that the vehicle had crashed in the residential area and the driver was breath-tested, but he elected to have a blood test.
Shute says the man will appear in the Queenstown District Court on 15 August.
Other drink driving
A 28-year-old Queenstown man blew 758mcg on Lake Avenue, Frankton, just after 11.30pm on Friday, 11 July. He was suspended from driving for 28 days and will appear in court tomorrow (18 July).
A 63-year-old local woman blew 531mcg after being stopped at an alcohol checkpoint just after 6.15pm on Saturday. She will appear in court on 11 August.
Police issued three drink driving infringement notices to drivers blowing between 250mcg and 400mcg – one a local woman in her 40s, a 32-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, all stopped at Frankton checkpoints.
Serious patient airlifted after bike accident
The Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter airlifted a patient in a serious condition from near Ben Lomond after a biking accident just after 2.20pm on Sunday, 13 July. St John Ambulance attended, and a spokesperson says the patient was flown to Lakes District Hospital.
Ski accident patients airlifted
The rescue helicopter also flew a patient in a moderate condition to Southland Hospital after a ski accident at The Remarkables Ski Area just before 5pm last Thursday, 10 July, while a patient in a minor condition was airlifted to Dunedin Hospital from Cardrona after a ski accident just before 4.30pm that day.
There was a motor vehicle accident in Cardrona just before 7am the same day (10 July), but St John was stood down by Police and not required.
