The distraught family of a 12-year-old girl, killed alongside a 15-year-old boy after a police pursuit in Palmerston North yesterday, have given an emotional interview in which the girl's mother says she "is stunned" after losing her second child in four years.
Rachel James, the mother of Meadow James - who was killed in yesterday's tragic accident, couldn't hold back the tears when speaking to 1 NEWS about the incident today while surrounded by Meadow's two aunties and her sister.
"I am still stunned, for me it's the second time around as I have already lost a child," Rachel said before breaking down.
"I left her in the morning the last I knew she was at her course then I come home from work and find out she's gone in this car.
"I play back what I could change, I could have done better, it happened and I can't change it," the heartbroken mother said choking up again.
Watch interview with Ihaia Maxwell's grandparents here.
Rachel's sister Rebecca James then spoke about the negative comments the family had been receiving on social media about the crash.
"See she is beating herself up already we don't need anymore negative comments on social media," she said.
Meadow's mum then went on to say she doesn't blame the teenage driver who fled police, Ihaia McPhee-Maxwell, or his family.
"At the end of the day it's happened and there's nothing we can do to change it, I don't blame anyone. I don't blame the family of the boy that was driving, they didn't want their son to die either.
"It's just one of those things that has happened and now we have to accept it. Should of, could of, would of, I can't do that. I have done that for my son for the past four years and it hasn't helped me at all," Rachel said.
A 12-year-old girl also died in the tragic Palmerston North crash yesterday.
Earlier today the grandparents of Ihaia, Dennis and Kat Maxwell also spoke to 1 NEWS and said they also weren't going to play the blame game when it came to the fatal police pursuit accident.
"That's their job, you can't blame the police, that's the problem - people have an opinion they jump on their keyboard and away they go without thinking of the consequences," Dennis said.
Details of the incident were released by police yesterday, who said at 1.30pm the 15-year-old driver of a vehicle wanted for breaching his bail conditions failed to stop for them on Monrad Street in Palmerston North.
After failing to stop they say the vehicle travelled onto Pioneer Highway before crashing into a power pole at the intersection of Pioneer Highway and Shirriffs Road.
The front seat passenger of the vehicle, who police say was a 12-year-old girl died at the scene, and the driver, a 15-year-old boy died later in hospital.
A second young woman was in the rear seat passenger in the vehicle and has serious injuries.
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