A 19-year-old man has been arrested and remanded in custody on nine separate driving related charges.

The charges come in the wake of two bystanders being injured after a car lost control on State Highway 5, near Maraeroa Road, Mamaku on 11 November.

Reports made to Police at around 10:30pm that evening suggested a group of people were conducting burnouts and skids.

An hour later at 11:30pm a vehicle lost control and hit two bystanders, causing life changing injuries that will require months of recovery.

“We know that people go to these activities with a perception that they are harmless but that is far from reality,” says Rotorua Road Policing Manager, Senior Sergeant John Stapleford.

“You’ve got people throwing vehicles around like they’re toys. These are vehicles that weigh over a tonne, being driven in an out-of-control manner - the potential for harm is huge.

“The charges put forward to the courts show our commitment to meeting serious actions with serious consequences.”

Police continue to investigate the matter and are not ruling out further charges against other people involved.

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