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A 17-year-old man is in a serious condition in Palmerston North Hospital after police attending a car crash failed to see him lying injured a few metres away.
Police came across the crashed Ford Falcon on Napier Road outside Palmerston North just after midnight on Sunday after a number of calls from members of the public.
It appeared the car had failed to take a sweeping bend heading towards Palmerston North and had hit a tree, sustaining extensive damage.
Sergeant Graeme Wehipeihana said one witness told police two people from the crashed car had been taken to hospital in another vehicle.
Police searched the area with torches before leaving to make further inquiries.
However, the 17-year-old's father, concerned for his whereabouts and having heard about the crash, went to the scene at 9.30am and found his son lying injured on the opposite side of the road around 28m from the crash site.
Mr Wehipeihana said police were now seeking witnesses to the crash and would like to speak to the occupants of the crashed car and the people who took them to hospital.
- NZPA
