Schoolgirl still critical after crash

A girl is still fighting for her life in Auckland’s Starship children’s hospital after a car crashed into a group of students outside a North Shore high school.

Four students were rushed to hospital after a blue Nissan Skyline mounted the pavement near a bus stop and struck them outside Westlake Girls’ High School on Wednesday morning.

Three of the victims were from Westlake Girls’ and one was from nearby Westlake Boys’ High School.

One schoolgirl remains in critical condition while two other victims are in a stable condition at Starship, an Auckland District Health Board spokeswoman said.

One victim also remains in a stable condition at Auckland City Hospital. A fifth person was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

A Westlake Girls’ High School spokeswoman said the school was ‘‘deeply saddened’’ by the horror crash.

The school is continuing to provide counselling for students who witnessed the incident and is working with the Ministry of Education.

Parents of injured students were immediately alerted on Wednesday morning.

A witness described seeing ‘‘children, bags and paper flying’’ as the car left the road and ploughed into the students and a metal fence. Stuff reader Catherine Craig saw the crash from her vehicle on the other side of the road.

‘‘It is very traumatising. I saw the blue car hit the children. Motorists rushed out their of cars to help.

‘‘I was unable to exit my car so I rang an ambulance immediately. The driver of the blue car rushed to aid the child on the road who was not moving,’’ she said.

Local resident Lance Shepherd said he was ‘‘amazed’’ the car didn’t hit more children.

A police spokeswoman said an investigation into the incident continued but she could not say if the driver would face any charges.