A man has died after a police pursuit in the Bay of Plenty overnight.

Bay of Plenty road policing manager Inspector Brent Crowe said initial indications were that the 27-year-old died after losing control of his vehicle on a a sweeping right-hand bend in Whakatāne.

The fatal crash occured on Taneatua Rd, on the outskirts of Whakatāne.

Crowe said it appeared as though the vehicle left the road at speed, become airborne and struck a large tree.

A second person, the back seat passenger, was taken to Waikato Hospital with critical injuries. A front seat passenger sustained minor injuries.

Crowe said the deceased driver had been involved in a police pursuit shortly before the crash.

"About 11pm [Saturday] a pursuit was initiated when the driver of a Mazda Familia vehicle failed to stop for police in Whakatāne," Crowe said.

"Within one minute, officers in pursuit determined the vehicle's excessive speed posed too great a risk to its occupants and the public and abandoned the pursuit.

"Approximately four minutes later Police located the vehicle on Taneatua Road, about 6.5km south of the point of abandonment."

The Serious Crash Unit attended. The road was closed until 3.30am for those investigations.

Crowe said while Police were not pursuing the vehicle when it crashed, the circumstances surrounding both the pursuit and the crash would be thoroughly investigated and the Independent Police Conduct Authority notified.

No further detail will be released until all next-of-kin have been notified.