A 12 year old boy is in a serious condition after crashing a stolen car in Burnside early this morning.

The crash happened on Memorial Avenue near Greers Road at about 1.40am.

Canterbury District Metro Response Manager Paul Reeves told chrislynchmedia.com police had earlier signalled for a stolen vehicle to stop on Aldwins Road in Phillipstown.

The boy failed to stop and was not pursued by police.

Reeves said the vehicle was later seen travelling east on Memorial Avenue when it lost control, crashed into a parked car and came to rest on the footpath.

Footage from the crash scene showed the extent of the damage, with the vehicle split in two. Police had attempted to deploy road spikes, but were unsuccessful.

The Serious Crash Unit attended and police are investigating.

St John said they responded with one ambulance and two rapid response vehicles. The boy, who suffered serious injuries, was taken to hospital and is now in a stable condition.

Neighbours told chrislynchmedia.com they were shocked to see the boy being rescued by emergency services and to learn he was so young.