A 21-year-old-woman is in a critical condition after her speeding 22-year-old brother lost control of his car and smashed into a power pole near Havelock North.
Four passengers were in the car as the driver attempted to overtake another vehicle, lost control on a bend before it rolled and crashed into the concrete pole on Te Mata Mangateretere Road about 1.50am on Saturday.
A 20-year-old male suffered moderate injuries and was in a stable condition. The driver received minor injuries as did a 16-year-old female and 20-year-old male.
Sergeant Clint Adamson said it was not yet clear if the crashed vehicle was racing.
"Early thoughts were that they weren't racing per se but speed is definitely an issue - that might change in the next couple of days as we talk to a couple of more people who have come forward.