Edwards said while police attempted to get to the scene of the stopped vehicle, the man got out and stole a commercial vehicle.
The Ford Ranger belonged to Epro Limited, a company that specialises in predator control. A worker was inside the ute at the time.
“He was removed by the offender, and no injuries were sustained,” Edwards said.
The driver fled in the vehicle along State Highway 5 towards Hawke’s Bay.
Edwards said police from Taupō and Hawke’s Bay were deployed.
They managed to spike the second vehicle about 9km south of Pohokura, near Te Hāroto.
The man was taken into custody just before 10am.
Charges were pending, Edwards said.
“Police did an excellent job in resolving this offending as quickly and safely as possible.”
Edwards said police wanted to hear from any motorists who witnessed the driving and may have dash cam footage.
Managing director Kane Stafford of Epro Limited told Hawke’s Bay Today their employee was heading to work when they found themselves “in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
He said they were “shaken up but uninjured” after the incident.
“It’s not what you expect to happen.
“The driver decided he liked our vehicle better because his one didn’t have any tyres working.”
Stafford said their employee’s phone remained missing on Monday afternoon.