The driver of a truck that crashed into a patrol car south of Foxton on Thursday night had failed to stop at a road block.
It had been set up at a bridge across the Manawatū River while officers were searching for a man who was the subject of an arrest warrant.
Police said they found a car belonging to a wanted man, parked on the bridge on Thursday night.
A dog team and other officers searched for the man, who was located nearby and arrested.
The search took a long time because of the nature of the terrain and darkness, they said.
While the search was under way, a truck failed to stop at a cordon and hit a marked police car.
No-one was injured, and the crash is under investigation.
