Six teens in high-speed car crash after fleeing police

A young man is undergoing surgery and fighting for his life after the stolen car he was driving with five teenage passengers crashed into a tree during a police chase early this morning.

A spokeswoman for the Manukau District Health Board said the teenager was still in theatre. She would not give any further details.

The officer in charge of the crash investigation, Inspector Heather Wells, said police had set up a cordon in the area to catch the group, who they believe had been stealing cars.

She said when a constable approached the car at a cordon, it sped off.

Ms Wells said the constable "never had a chance" of catching up to the car and another patrol car found the crash scene, about four minutes later at 12.20am.

The car had gone off the road and crashed into a tree on Hill Rd in Manurewa.

"Those other passengers are very lucky they didn't get seriously injured. It could have been a lot worse than it was," Ms Wells said.

She said it was unclear how fast the car was going at the time of the crash because there are no skid marks on the side of the road.

Police spokeswoman Ms Gates-Bowey said six teenagers, aged between 13 and 14 years, were in the car.

She said the driver had to be cut free from the wreck and was in a critical condition at Middlemore Hospital.

Three of the youths have been discharged from hospital, while two remain in the emergency department being assessed.

Ms Gates-Bowey said later enquiries made by police show that the car was stolen last night.

She said charges had not yet been laid.

- NZHERALD STAFF