A man was heard yelling that he had been paralysed after crashing a stolen vehicle during a police pursuit in Christchurch yesterday.

The crash happened when the vehicle, with four passengers, collided with another about 7.45pm, on Mairehau Rd, by the Inwoods Super Liquor carpark.

The driver of the offending vehicle was taken to hospital with moderate injuries.

According to eyewitness accounts he had to be cut from the vehicle by emergency services.

"He came out saying he was paralysed. He was swearing his nut off, going crazy," said Erica Griffith, 40, who arrived as the post crash events were unfolding.

"There were six cop cars at one point, two fire engines and two ambulances," Griffith said.

"The police washed the blood off the footpath with a hose."

The four other occupants of the offending vehicle were not seriously injured. While police declined to comment on the phone, they said it was a low speed collision and the four passengers of the offending vehicle "are also being dealt with by police".

- © Fairfax NZ News