The passenger in the car being pursued by police that caused a triple fatal crash near Nelson had a previous conviction for killing someone in a vehicle accident.

Philip Stretch, aged in his 30s, was a passenger in the car being pursued yesterday, Fairfax reported. Stretch was jailed for 18 months for killing a passenger in a 2001 crash. Stretch was aged 17 at the time and was drunk when the crash happened.

Stretch pleaded guilty to 14 charges – five of the charges, including drink-driving causing death, resulting from the crash that killed Jamie Kelly, 19.

Kelly was one of four passengers in the car, driven by Stretch, who crashed after losing control on a bend at Mariri, near Motueka, on May 31, 2001.

Stretch was the passenger in the car yesterday being driven by Johnathan Tairakena - a disqualified driver, Fairfax said.

Both men were killed and the innocent occupant of the car they collided with also died.

Police had been chasing the vehicle yesterday morning for 6km and the pursuit had not been called off when the collision happened on State Highway 6 near Clover Rd at about 5.40am.

Police have confirmed they tried to stop a vehicle on nearby Gladstone Rd.

"The car failed to stop and fled towards State Highway 6, overtaking a truck and moving onto the wrong side of the road where it crashed into another vehicle that was travelling north," Superintendent Mike Johnson said.

"Tragically three people have died as a result, two of the deceased were from the fleeing vehicle and the third person was an innocent member of the public.

"An outcome like this is the last thing police want to see."