(file image) Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
An unborn baby has died after a serious crash involving a stolen vehicle in a small town in Northland on Monday.
Police said they were called to the two-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 in Ōkaihau about 9.08pm.
One vehicle had a pregnant woman who was critically injured and taken to hospital.
Police inquiries at the scene suggested the other vehicle - which police said was being driven by an unlicensed child - was stolen earlier on Monday from Moerewa.
"Those in this vehicle were aged from 12 to 17."
In an update on Tuesday, Far North Area Commander Inspector Riki Whiu said the unborn baby had died.
"The woman remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition and police are providing support to her loved ones," Whiu said.
Three of the youths in the other vehicle were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from critical to moderate.
The "horrific" crash had come about from "selfish and mindless behaviour", Whiu said.
"It is absolutely the worst outcome for us as a community, whānau and all other responding emergency services who attend these incidents."
The Serious Crash Unit was in attendance and an investigation into the crash is ongoing.