[bbfan1991]

A pregnant woman has helped a speeding driver evade police by pretending to be giving birth in the passenger seat.

Police in New Zealand were trying to stop a speeding Honda Civic, which was travelling at 146km/h (91mph), and were about to use road spikes to slow down the driver.

When the male driver eventually pulled over, the police found a 23-year-old woman claiming to be in labour. The person in the backseat was supposedly the father of the unborn child, according to the Bay of Plenty Times.

Police then called an ambulance to transport the woman, who was more than seven months pregnant, to Tauranga Hospital. However, she quickly discharged herself at the hospital and left in a car that was spotted driving through red traffic lights.

Police officer Mark Holmes said: "It's just disappointing that someone would use their condition like that to their advantage.

"It's not just a waste of our time, but a waste of the time of the St. John ambulance staff helping people who really need their help."

A 23-year-old man has since been arrested for dangerous driving.