Teen killed in stolen car crash named

File photo / NZ Herald

Police have released the name of a teenager who died yesterday when the stolen car he was driving crashed into another vehicle in Bay of Plenty.

He was 18-year-old James Dean Miles of Huntly.

The car he was driving was spotted in the Waihi area and was followed south by police.

While in a line of traffic on State Highway 2, the stolen vehicle is understood to have sped away suddenly and crashed head-on into another car on Lindemann Rd, 1km north of Katikati, about 5pm.

The driver of the other vehicle, a 54-year-old Waihi man, was today in a stable condition in Tauranga Hospital with moderate injuries, police said.

Mr Miles, the sole occupant of the stolen Hyundai Accent, died at the scene.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) is investigating the crash.

A spokeswoman for the organisation said referring the matter to the IPCA was "a matter of course when police have been following a vehicle prior to a crash".

Police still want to hear from anyone who saw the crash, or who saw the green Hyundai Accent being driven prior to the collision.

Anyone with information was asked to contact Tauranga police on (07) 577 4300.