Two teenage passengers of a car that smashed into a tree in St Albans, injuring two people, say they’re victims of the driver’s actions.

A police spokeswoman said the vehicle failed to stop for police on Westminster Street at 3:42 AM on Saturday.

She said the vehicle was not pursued and was later found on Rutland Street where it had crashed into a tree.

The driver fled the scene but was found a short time later by police.

A 19-year-old female passenger told Chris Lynch there were four in the car, the 24-year old driver, an 18-year-old male passenger, and an 18 -year-female passenger.

“We were not being reckless.” She said the driver told them to take off their seatbelts because he was going to pull over for police.

“Then without any communication, he sped off.” She said, “the 18-year old male passenger had surgery on his back for a broken bone with other excessive injuries.”

She said social media comments made the passengers “feel extremely depressed and they were self-blaming, wishing they had more serious injuries.”

The 18-year-old female passenger said they were all screaming at the driver to pull over and talk to the police.

She suffered a fractured skull and tissue damage. “He neglected everything and cared only for himself. When the crash happened he left the scene, not giving a damn at all.” She said the driver and the passengers were from the same bubble.

A family member of one of the injured said “they were heading back to one of the passenger’s house.”

“They all made the decision to be in the vehicle and not stay in lockdown, but no one but the driver made the decision to speed and run from the police, ending in a crash, therefore the passengers are victims too,” the family member said.

A police spokeswoman said a 24-year-old man appeared in the Christchurch District Court yesterday charged with breaching COVID-19 restrictions, dangerous driving, and failing to stop when signalled to by police.

He was remanded on bail until he appears in the same court on September 14.

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