A 27-year-old man is in a serious condition in Dunedin Hospital after the car he was travelling in crashed following a police pursuit in Invercargill.
The driver was admitted to Southland Hospital, but has since been released.
Southland area commander, Inspector Barry Taylor, said a 21-year-old man, driving a Mazda MX coupe, failed to stop for police at 3.30am.
Police noticed the car after it crossed to the wrong side of the road at an intersection, he said.
Police put their patrol car warning lights on and although the car initially appeared to slow it failed to stop and took off.
The driver drove around a block before entering another street where the car struck a centre island and crashed into a wall.
Both men were not wearing seatbelts, Mr Taylor said.
The patrol was not close enough to see the crash but was at the scene a short time later and officers gave help to the injured.
"This is yet another example of a driver making a poor decision and failing to comply with a police request to stop," he said.
The driver had put himself, his passenger and the public at risk, he added.
"The information I have to date indicates the police officers concerned acted properly and were simply doing their job -- that is expected of them by the public at large," he said.
It was not yet known whether alcohol contributed to the crash but the driver had been blood tested.
Police were seeking witnesses.
