Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel
Two teenagers remain in critical conditions after the car they were in left the road and ploughed into property near Auckland.
Police have revealed they had earlier signalled the car to stop because of how it was being driven.
Police said it took off from officers but was not being pursued when it crashed on Coatesville-Riverhead Highway at about 8.20pm.
Photo: Calvin Samuel
"This is a horrific incident with devastating consequences for the young people involved," Waitematā District Commander Superintendent Naila Hassan said.
All four teenagers in the car were taken to hospital.
Police said the teenagers involved are aged between 16 and 19.
Police said the driver lost control and crashed, with the vehicle coming to a stop upside down against a home.
Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel
Officers who were seizing an unrelated vehicle nearby at the time heard the crash and gave first aid.
RNZ's Calvin Samuel, who had been at the scene on Saturday morning, said there was still a trail of destruction.
"There's a debris path of about 50 metres from the road towards the property, and you can see large trees down, a ceramic sewage pipe and large tree stumps," he said.
Samuel said the car appears to have completely cleared a gully before coming to a stop.
"The debris leads right up to the edge of the house," he said.
Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel
Police said it's extremely fortunate the public wasn't injured.
"We're supporting the families of those injured, and the officers who responded to this tragic scene," Hassan said.
She said it was a "tragic decision" to earlier flee Police.
During the callout on Friday night four ambulances, five rapid response units, two operations managers, a major incident support team and two Fire and Emergency crews all responded.
The Serious Crash Unit has finished investigating at the scene, and Police will be carrying out a full investigation.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has also been advised.
Photo: Calvin Samuel
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