Three unlicensed teenagers have been arrested following a police pursuit through Victoria less than a day after an underage driver was killed in a horror crash that left two of his mates fighting for their lives.
The three boys - two aged 15 and one aged 16 - were arrested on Tuesday afternoon after a chase on roads between Geelong and Melbourne involving two stolen cars, police said on Wednesday.
Police expect to lay charges.
The arrests came less than 24 hours after a carload of teens slammed into a tree in Sunshine West, killing 15-year-old driver Luke Lee, late on Monday night.
Two girls, aged 13 and 16, in the back seat of the car remain in a critical condition in The Alfred hospital, a hospital spokeswoman told AAP on Wednesday.
Two other boys, aged 16 and 17, both sustained serious injuries but their condition has been downgraded to stable.
"Driving is not a game. You need to be licensed. You need to be responsible," Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer told reporters on Tuesday.
Investigators believe inexperience and speed were factors in the crash.
A number of the teens in the unregistered 1995 Holden Commodore weren't wearing seatbelts.
Friends of Luke have paid tribute to the lost teen including his girlfriend who regrets their last words were spoken in anger.
"No words could ever explain how much you really mean to me and how much I will miss you and forever love you, we've been through so much together and I'm so upset that our last words to each other was us fighting ," she posted on Instagram.
