Teens among five dead on roads

Two police chases end in deaths of a car passenger and a motorcyclist in Sth Island Three Nelson teenagers were among five people killed in high-speed car accidents at the weekend.

Jonathan Williams, 17, Daniel Johnson, 18, and Jordan Rangiuia, 18, died when the car they were in smashed into a large tree outside a cemetery in the Marsden Valley about 6am yesterday.

Another passenger suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital.

Senior Sergeant Stu Koeford, of Nelson police, said the the group was travelling in a grey Ford Telstar, which sped down Marsden Valley Rd, before the driver lost control and hit a tree.

Alcohol, as well as speed, was said to have been a factor in the crash.

Two men died in two separate car accidents which both started as police pursuits.

Police in Nelson were called to reports of a car doing burnouts outside a hotel in Murchison shortly before 3am.

After it failed to stop, a police pursuit began and the vehicle - a Subaru WRX - reached speeds of up to150km/h.

The driver is thought to have lost control going through roadworks and the car ran off the road and smashed into a tree.

The police officer who was pursuing turned a corner to find that the car had split in two. The two halves were lying about 30m from each other.

One man died, while the other - the driver - suffered critical injuries and was flown to Nelson Hospital.

Both men are believed to be from Invercargill.

However, police said they would not identify the man killed until his family had been notified.

Shortly before midnight on Saturday, a motorcyclist was killed after he sped away from police in Picton.

A pursuit - which police said lasted about 40 seconds - began after police spotted the motorcyclist speeding and believed him to be drunk.

He died instantly when he lost control of the bike and crashed.

A woman who had been riding as a pillion passenger survived and was flown to Wellington Hospital with serious injuries.

Both crashes involving police will be reported to the Independent Police Conduct Authority, which will investigate.

Meanwhile, a body found in a Hamilton creek is thought to be that of a cyclist who lost control of her bike.

The body was found at Edgecumbe Park, in Whitiora in Hamilton, at about 11.30am.

Police said yesterday: "The initial investigation indicates that a cyclist has lost control going down a steep bank, before hitting a tree, and landing in the creek."Additional reporting NZPA