Police spikes were successfully deployed to stop six youths in a stolen car driving dangerously in Christchurch.

The incident happened during school rush hour in Riccarton.

A Christchurch Motorist told Chris Lynch Media he had just picked up his daughter at Riccarton High School when he saw a tan-coloured Toyota driving on the cycle lane near Riccarton Library.

“I cut across the lane tooting my horn to try and cut them off.” He said.

“I couldn’t ram them because I had my daughter sitting in the front seat of my car.”

The witness said about “30 seconds later, two police cars screamed down the road in pursuit.

As the motorist turned around to go home, he saw a group of youths on the ground handcuffed.

“Two police cars had cornered the car which was stuck in the gutter and completely munted.”

Among the offenders was a young teenage girl he said.

Police told him the offenders had just “done over a dairy.”

A police spokesperson told Chris Lynch Media they received a report of theft from commercial premises on Riccarton Road about 3pm. 

One person entered the store and stole several items. The person left the scene in a stolen vehicle with a number of occupants.

Police observed the vehicle’s movements and deployed road spikes which safely brought the vehicle to a stop the police spokesperson said.  

Six youths were taken into custody.

A 16-year-old is due to appear in Christchurch Youth Court tomorrow.

A 16-year-old and a 15-year-old are due to appear in Christchurch Youth Court on Tuesday 4 April.

Further charges are being considered.

It follows a crash on Tuesday, where two people were injured, one seriously at the intersection of Buchanans Road and Carmen Road at 3.25PM.

The occupants in one of the vehicles were youths, who fled the scene in the car.

Chris Lynch Media understands the driver of the stolen car pulled a sharp handbrake turn smashing into a victim’s car.

It’s alleged one of the occupants of the stolen vehicle was a child.

The youths are believed to be “well known” to police and have committed multiple crimes.

Oranga Tamariki was asked to comment on what it was doing to keep Christchurch motorists safe from child offenders.

A spokeswoman said “as there is an active police investigation underway, we cannot comment.”

A police spokesman said they cannot speculate about aspects of what may have contributed to the crash while an investigation is in progress.

He said “inquiries were ongoing to locate the occupants of the (fleeing) vehicle.