24 Jan 2016

16-year-old dead in crash after police chase

5:37 pm on 24 January 2016

A 16-year-old girl has died and a teenage driver is critically injured after a police pursuit in Auckland ended with a car crashing.

A car pursued by police crashed into another on Buckland Road, Mangere.

A car pursued by police crashed into another on Buckland Road, Mangere. Photo: SNPA

Police said they were following a stolen car in Mangere about 3.30am when it crashed into another vehicle in Buckland Road. They said the car's occupants were not wearing seatbelts.

Police said they were called to Hill Road, Papatoetoe, when a resident reported a person breaking into a vehicle.

Officers arrived at the scene as the alleged stolen vehicle drove off and signalled for the vehicle to pull over, but the driver continued, police said.

The pursuit around the streets of Papatoetoe and Mangere lasted about four minutes.

Police said the officer lost sight of the stolen vehicle and came across it when it had crashed into an oncoming vehicle on Buckland Road.

The 16-year-old female passenger died at the scene, and the 15-year-old female driver is Middlemore Hospital in a critical condition.

The driver of the other car suffered minor injuries.

The incident will be investigated by the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

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