Police said the vehicle narrowly missed the bridge, demolished a roadside sign and ploughed down the side of the bank, coming to rest in the creek.
The incident was reported to the police around 2am, by which time the driver had fled the scene. Several hours later, the police received a complaint that a rental car had been unlawfully taken from a residence. It turned out to be the same car.
In other police news, a weekend complaint of assault on a female resulted in the arrest and charging of a man on Saturday.
On the same day a break-in at a residence in Matavera was reported, with police following up on leads which later resulted in the arrest of a man wanted in connection with the incident. Police also investigated another burglary in which cash was taken from a building in Nikao.
Meanwhile, a complaint of assault on a female resulted in the arrest and charging of a man on Friday afternoon.
- Release/CS