KEY POINTS:
An Auckland teenager is still critically ill after a police car crashed into a pedestrian crossing pole, which struck him on the head.
The 14-year-old had emergency surgery in Auckland Hospital last night.
Witnesses said the teenager, who is understood to be a Mt Roskill Grammar student, was walking across the crossing on Richardson Rd in Owairaka when an unmarked police car "came screaming around the corner with its lights flashing" from Owairaka Ave.
"He could see them coming hell for leather so he tried to get off the road," said Carol Eruera, who saw the accident. "The cop must have seen the kid on the crossing and tried to avoid him, but slammed into the pole, which came down on the poor boy's head."
Ms Eruera said she ran to a nearby dairy to call for an ambulance before going back to the teenager, who was lying face down, unconscious.
"He was bleeding from the head ... He came to after about three minutes and reached for his cellphone. I think he was trying to call his family before someone took the phone off him and tried to do it for him.
"I just held his hand and said, 'You are going to be all right'."
Ms Eruera said the police officer was travelling too fast. "It might have been something happening elsewhere but he definitely wasn't chasing a car." Police dispute this.
Another witness, 14-year-old Tui Tuki, said she also saw the teenager trying to avoid the car.
"He was just lying there and his eyes were closed. I freaked out because I thought he had died."
Tui ran to Owairaka Primary School, where her mother is a teacher, and alerted staff, who came out to control traffic until help arrived.
Teacher Jill Smythe said she knew the teenager from his time as a student at the school. She described him as a "really good and nice kid".
Staff covered him with blankets until the ambulance arrived.
Two other cars were also damaged in the accident but neither of the drivers was understood to be injured.
Unitec student Xi Li was driving along Richardson Rd to her aunt's house in Mt Albert when she stopped at the pedestrian crossing.
The 20-year-old was unclear what had happened.
"I just saw a car in my rear-vision mirror ... It hit me and I felt my car spin around.
"I'm still in a little bit of shock. I couldn't stop shaking at the time."
Police are investigating the accident and the Police Complaints Authority has been notified.
Inspector Rob Abbott said a police unit began to pursue a car after it avoided a routine checkpoint.
He said the police car tried to take evasive action to avoid driving through the pedestrian crossing but clipped a stationary vehicle that was waiting there.
The car then spun out of control, hitting the light pole.
"I would like to extend our thoughts to the young boy's family. Our hearts go out to them at this time.
"All staff involved are deeply distressed and shocked at this horrific course of events."
Mr Abbott said the officers involved would be interviewed as well as other witnesses to the incident.
