3 Nov 2017

Driving stolen cars like life doesn't matter

From Checkpoint, 5:17 pm on 3 November 2017

The mother of a 15-year-old boy who died after fleeing the police in a stolen car in Auckland says the police should have called off the pursuit.

Morrocco Tai was killed and two 15-year-old female passengers were seriously injured when their car hit a tree in Otara just after 6am on 9 October.

His mother, Jo-Ann Stevens, said officers should have used their discretion.

She said she and her family have been devastated at the abusive messages about Morrocco posted on social media and they want it to stop.

"At that time of the morning people are going to work. They should have pulled off, whether it's 10 seconds, 15 seconds, they should have pulled off.

"Because the adrenaline for a 15-year-old would have been pumping and he would have put his foot down."