About 6pm, the fleeing vehicle hit road spikes on SH6 near the McKenzie Rd intersection and soon after crashed into a water table on McKenzie Rd.
Police said the male driver suffered only minor injuries and two other occupants were unhurt.
Inspector Bowman later confirmed a baby had also been inside the vehicle and was uninjured.
“Police were not aware of a baby in the vehicle prior to spiking it,” he said.
The Serious Crash Unit examined the scene and SH6 was closed for a period with diversions in place.
Inquiries into the incident are continuing, and as is standard when spikes are deployed, a review will be carried out.
A 32-year-old man has been charged with multiple driving offences and is due to reappear in the Invercargill District Court on December 8.
A 30-year-old woman, who was also in the vehicle, is due to appear in the Invercargill District Court on December 15, facing drug and burglary charges.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.