A person has died and two others injured, after crashing during a fleeing driver incident, north of Otaki

Police were alerted to a stolen ute just after 10.30pm last night, wanted in connection to a robbery.

The ute was signalled to stop, just south of Levin, where a pursuit was initiated but Police abandoned it.

About 30 minutes later, the ute was seen crashing head on with another vehicle heading north, in the southbound lane from Waikanae.

The driver died at the scene, with two passengers in a serious and critical condition.

Four occupants in the other vehicle were suffered moderate to serious injuries.