Five children were seriously injured in a Matamata crash on Monday night.
Police are investigating the incident after they were told of a crash involving a Nissan Tiida on Morrinsville-Walton Road at about 11.55pm.
In a statement to 1News, police said the vehicle involved had been stolen from Hamilton and was linked to a burglary on Monday evening in Matamata.
"This information, together with other lines of enquiry, are being assessed by police staff investigating this crash," Waikato District Commander Superintendent Bruce Bird said.
"It is too early to provide detail on the cause of the crash itself other than to say speed appears to be a likely factor."
Police are not looking to locate anybody else in relation to the crash, and police had no interaction with the vehicle prior to it.
When police arrived at the crash scene they found the car in the ditch, Bird said.
The five children, aged between 10 to 13, were found outside of the car.
All were taken to Waikato Hospital — four by ambulance and the other by helicopter. Four remain in ICU in a critical condition and the fifth is in a ward in a stable condition. One child is expected to be transferred to Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland on Tuesday.
Bird said police wanted to focus on understanding what led to the “very serious crash”.
“While we understand there may be speculation about what occurred, it’s important police have the opportunity to investigate the circumstances, and the families impacted are given the space to support their children.”
Bird thanked members of the public who helped the children immediately after the crash.
“I also want to acknowledge the emergency service staff who responded. They acted quickly and professionally in difficult conditions to ensure these young people got the medical attention they urgently needed.”
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