Teens in rural smash | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

Two city teenagers remained in a critical condition in hospital yesterday after a weekend cruise in North Canterbury went horribly wrong.

The seriously injured are the 15-year-old driver and front seat passenger, who is the same age.

The three backseat passengers were all 14, and suffered only minor injuries.

Police would not comment yesterday on the status of the driver's licence, or whose car the teenagers were in.

Sergeant Rene Pabst said those issues were part of the police investigation. However, he said speed did appear to be an issue. The Ford Falcon left Horsley Downs Rd, Hawarden, and spun 180 degrees before slamming into a power pole soon after 9pm on Friday.

The driver had lost control of the car on a moderate right hand bend. The front passenger door took most of the impact, Sergeant Pabst said.

He said there were no adverse road conditions.

It was a sealed road, and the weather had been fine.

The roof of the vehicle had to be removed by firefighters to free the driver and the front seat passenger from the wreckage.

Sergeant Pabst said the teenagers had been cruising around the Hawarden area.

He was unsure where they were headed at the time of the crash. Two of the backseat passengers lived in the Hurunui district.

In September 2007, three 15-year-olds were killed when their car hit a power pole near Lincoln.

That crash claimed the lives of Chloe Cockerell, Melissa Norton and Emma Reynolds. Emma, who was driving, held only a restricted licence and should not have been carrying passengers.

The front seat passenger, Anna Rasmussen, survived.