Teens' joyride ends with car wrapped around pole

Three teenage boys are in hospital following a police pursuit which ended with the car they were in slamming into a pole on Auckland's North Shore.

Police say one of their patrol units noticed a Subaru car travelling erratically down Hurstmere Road.

The car is alleged to have been stolen from a Devonport address overnight.

After initially losing sight of the vehicle, police spotted it again near the Milford Town Centre.

Police activated their lights and sirens, but the driver failed to stop - moments later the vehicle crashed into a pole at the intersection of Wairau and Shakespeare Roads.

The 15 year-old driver from Mt Roskill is in Auckland Hospital with minor injuries, while a 15-year-old front seat passenger- also from Mt Roskill - is in a critical condition.

A 13-year-old back seat passenger from Westmere is in Starship Hospital with moderate injuries.

Their families are with them at hospital.

North Shore Area Commander, Inspector Shanan Gray, says a number of investigations are underway; "The scene has been examined by the Waitemata Serious Crash Unit, the CIB are also investigating and as is standard procedure, we've notified the IPCA."

"No Police officer wants a fleeing driver incident to end this way.

"These types of incidents are fast-moving and unpredictable and Police always face a difficult balance between our duty to enforce the law and protect life, and to consider why the driver feels the need to avoid speaking to Police."

- nzherald.co.nz