Dennis Phillips, a private security guard, was driving down Kilmore St after a night shift when he noticed smoke billowing from the first floor of the United States consulate building. It was an unremarkable two-storey office building, home to an accounting firm that doubled as the city’s American outpost. As Phillips arrived, a 1959 baby Austin A35 tore away from the scene, revving loudly. Phillips reported the fire and the fleeing car on his radio and gave chase. The police soon joined him. Graphic/Stuff Over the next 45 minutes, an epic high-speed pursuit played out across Christchurch. The Austin, driven by 27-year-old Riethmuller, ran red lights, went the wrong way down one-way streets, ran a roadblock, and at times neared 100kmh. He was desperate to shake the police tail, at one point, he banged wheels with a cop car, almost pushing it off the road.