Teen hurt in car crash sneaked out
A teenager badly hurt in a horror car crash that injured seven people sneaked out of bed in the middle of the night, it’s understood.
The family of a 13-year-old girl with critical injuries were yesterday at her Christchurch Hospital bedside.
She suffered life-threatening injuries after the car she was travelling in crashed about 17 minutes after reportedly failing to stop for police.
A “suspicious” car with eight people inside it was seen by police in Rolleston, just south of Christchurch, at 4.22am on Sunday.
Officers tried to stop the car but it fled, starting a pursuit that was abandoned soon after “due to the nature of driving”. Police found it more than 30km away in Rakaia. It appears to have hit a fence and rolled.
The Herald understands one mother thought her child had been asleep in bed. But it’s understood the teen sneaked out to join friends.
The mother found out she was gone only when police phoned with the terrible news in the early hours.
A St John spokeswoman said they got the call at 4.39am from police. Two Westpac rescue helicopters and at least three ambulances were sent.
She said of the seven people rushed to hospital, two were critical, four were serious and one moderate.
St John said those hurt included a 13-year-old girl who was critical.
A spokesman for the Canterbury District Health Board said one patient was discharged on Sunday. One was in a stable condition while four had asked for privacy. The DHB said it was unable to get the necessary consent or permission to provide an update for the two other patients at this stage. Police said inquiries were ongoing. The police serious crash unit examined the scene and the road was reopened by late on Sunday morning.
The tragedy has renewed calls for a ban on police pursuits.
Youth health doctor Sue Bagshaw says it could’ve easily been avoided, claiming police don’t understand that chasing young drivers panics them.
She says police need to stop chases but reviewing curriculums and tackling poverty should also be on the list.
Many lower-income young people get trapped in a mentality of “live fast now — because you might be dead tomorrow”, Bagshaw says.
A Greymouth mum who lost her son in a police pursuit also said the smash shows they should be scrapped. Joe Hall lost her teenage son Judd in 2014 and says the pain never goes away.
She says Sunday’s crash will have left eight more families hurting.
Hall says the decision-making centres of teenagers’ brains aren’t developed enough to understand the consequences of fleeing.