The sole survivor of triple fatality crash in Gisborne pleaded with the driver to stop the car before the accident, police say.
Dylan Kingi, 28, Holly Gunn, 25 and Peter Bunyan, 27, were killed after the car they were in collided with a powerpole after being chased by police on Saturday night.
The sole survivor of the crash, 25-year-old nursing student Claire Badger, is in a stable condition in Gisborne Hospital after being thrown from the car.
Police tried to pull over the white Mitsubishi the four were travelling in at about 9.30pm, but the driver did not stop and sped off.
Acting Area Commander Maui Aben said Badger asked Kingi, the driver of the white Mitsubishi, to follow the instructions from the police.
"When the police initiated the stop with the red and blue lights and then the speeds started to get up she was telling Mr Kingi to pull over and stop," he said.
Officers followed the car for about 90 seconds. Two minutes later police say they discovered the car smashed into a power pole on a bend near Cameron Road.
Police said Kingi and those in the vehicle had been drinking.
Police Association President Greg O'Connor said yesterday that it was another tragedy resulting from people refusing to stop for police.
"They've continued and even though police have clearly stopped the chase, they've continued to drive dangerously and they're dead," he said.
'Miracle' woman survived
Ambulance staff said it was a miracle Badger, a mother of three, survived the accident.
"Those inside stood no chance of survival and that's the miracle that one person has got out of that car and was sort of walking around when we arrived and was able to communicate with us," Shane Clapperton from St John told ONE News yesterday.
Badger's father, Paul, said she was lucky to have come out of the incident without serious injury.
"She has no broken bones, no major internal injuries. She hasn't got any stitches, or even a sticking plaster on her.
"Compared to the other parents, we're just so lucky to still have our daughter. We could be planning a funeral," the father said.
Paul Badger said he felt sorry for the other families who had lost their children.
Police and the Independent Police Conduct Authority are investigating the crash. They are appealing for any sightings including a man they spoke to at a bridge minutes before the crash.