Carmen Marie Yanko - a 53-year-old mother from Nelson - is the innocent victim who died during a police pursuit in Nelson.

Messages of love and support are being shared online for Yanko's family.

One man sent his deepest condolences saying he "so sorry to hear this news", another said "thinking of you mate".

Another message written on a relative's Facebook page said "I feel for you so much. All my love to you and your family."

The two occupants of the car fleeing from police were 25-year-old Johnathan Tairakena and 33-year-old Phillip Jamie Stretch.

Their vehicle had led police on a 6km pursuit when they crashed into Yanko's car.

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

Stretch was sentenced to 18 months for killing a passenger in a 2001 crash.

Stretch was 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.

Police said Stretch was driving at speeds of up to 140km/h. He had been drinking bourbon and was six times the legal alcohol limit.

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

Tairakena has previous convictions for burglary and theft, including stealing cash from a McDonald's charity donation tin.

Tairakena used to be an employee for Talley's Group Ltd. He left the job about two or three years ago, a spokeswoman for the company said.

Stretch and Tairakena were both killed and the innocent occupant of the car their vehicle collided with also died early yesterday.

Police had been chasing the vehicle 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 on to 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."