Police impound Lexus 15 minutes after being collected from impound lot

A New Zealand driver will have to wait another 28 days to get his vehicle back after he was caught by police for performing a burnout – 15 minutes after collecting the car from the impound lot.

New Zealand Police said the Lexus IS was first confiscated on 5 January 2024 after police were notified of a “large group of vehicles” gathering at an intersection in Ramarama – a suburb south of Auckland.

Senior Sergeant MJ Riddle said police “observed a vehicle accelerating heavily while turning left and right, causing the wheels to lose traction.”

Senior Sergeant Riddle said the vehicle was impounded for 28 days, citing a “sustained loss of traction” as the reason.

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However, the owner of the Lexus IS was allegedly seen performing a “large burnout snaking onto the incorrect side of the road” just 15 minutes after the vehicle was released from the impound lot, on 9 February 2024.

New Zealand police said an anonymous member of the public informed police of the dangerous driving incident – with authorities allegedly obtaining video footage of the burnout and the vehicle.

Senior Sergeant Riddle said the Lexus sedan was impounded for another 28 days, with police reportedly continuing their enquiries into the suspected offender.

Under local New Zealand law, sustained loss of traction without authorisation is deemed a fineable offence.

Editor's note: The images above are the highest-quality examples published on the NZ Police website.