Police pursuit crash victims named

Police have named the teenagers who died after a high-speed police chase in Auckland yesterday.

The driver was 16-year-old Lance David Duff of Laingholm and his passengers were 17-year-old Walter James Russell of Glen Eden and 19-year-old Cheyenne Freeman of Avondale.

Inspector John Mitchell said the car was stopped in central Auckland about 4am but it sped off and the teens were killed when their car smashed into trees beside the St Lukes off ramp.

Inspector Mitchell says the driver had already taken off from police earlier in the night when he had been told his car was to be impounded.

He had been stopped for speeding at 93km/h in a 50km/h zone. Mr Duff's partner is pregnant with his child.

The official road death toll period began at 4pm on Friday and ends at 6am on Wednesday January 3, 2007.

The Police Complaints Authority had begun an inquiry into the incident.

- NZPA