Police tried unsuccessfully to stop the car as it approached this bridge on Pease Street.(Supplied: Google Street View)
An inquest is under way into the death of a 14-year-old boy who was a passenger in a stolen car that crashed in Cairns in February 2022.
The coroner will examine the actions of police in the lead-up to the crash and whether they complied with policy.
More than 20 witnesses are due to give evidence, including police officers, relatives and staff from the Department of Child Safety.
A coronial inquest is examining the actions of police in the lead up to the death of a teenage boy killed when the stolen car he was a passenger in slammed into a tree.
The 14-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, died after 1am on February 14, 2022 while in the car with five other youths travelling through inner suburban Cairns.
Another passenger suffered a serious spinal injury that put her in hospital for six months and left her a quadriplegic.
An inquest at the Coroner's Court in Cairns began on Monday and is expected to hear from more than 20 witnesses over the 10-day proceedings.
On the first day, state coroner Terry Ryan heard police in marked and unmarked cars were tracking the stolen car's movements for about 25 minutes before the fatal crash.
A 14-year-old boy died and several other young people were injured when the stolen car crashed into this tree.(ABC Far North: Kristy Sexton-McGrath)
Under an "interdiction strategy" police in Cairns were using at the time, the court heard the officers did not switch on lights and sirens to pull the car over but covertly followed it, looking for a chance to stop it using a tyre-deflation device.
Melia Benn, Counsel assisting the coroner, told the court an officer tried to deploy the device as the stolen car approached a bridge, but it failed and the stolen car drove on.
The 15-year-old driver then attempted to overtake another car but lost control, hitting the tree.
The 14-year-old boy died at the scene.
"[The youths] all say they knew they were being chased by police at various times in the 10 minutes leading up to the crash," Ms Benn said in her opening address.
The inquest is examining if police followed operational policies and procedures and the adequacy of their training.
Constable Aiden Bliesner was driving a marked police car in a "protracted follow" of the stolen car in the lead up to the crash, with Constable Leland Wilce in the passenger seat.
The inquest heard their vehicle reached speeds above 120 kilometres per hour in 60kph zones as "part of the effort to get eyes on the [stolen] vehicle".
In evidence, both officers said they would benefit from more training but did not believe they had become overly fixated on their target.
"It is a stressful situation; I don't recall him being overly stressed," Constable Wilce said of Constable Bliesner's actions.
More than 20 witnesses are listed to give evidence at the inquest.(ABC News: Emilia Terzon)
Sergeant Declan Oliver had a command role in an unmarked car as officers tracked the stolen vehicle.
He told the court the primary role of the interdiction strategy was "to stop the vehicle in a manner that is safe".
Sergeant Oliver said that, after the fatal crash, the strategy was "paused".
"After a short break, it was polished and improved upon, I guess, and it was reintroduced," he told the inquest.
Sergeant Theresa Downey investigated the incident for the police Ethical Standards Command and made recommendations, including a requirement for officers to be trained before engaging in the strategy.
However, the inquest heard she did not make a finding about whether the death was preventable.
The inquest heard Constable Bliesner and Constable Wilce were reprimanded after the Ethical Standards Command investigation into the crash.
The inquest is expected to also look at residential placements and support services the boy was assigned by the Department of Child Safety in the lead up to his death.
The inquest heard the crash victim had been exposed to "significant trauma" throughout his life, first coming to the attention of the department when he was a one-year-old.
He was diagnosed with an intellectual disability at nine and by 13 both his parents had died.
In 2023, the 15-year-old driver of the crash car was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter, drink driving and grievous bodily harm.
Topic:Disaster and Emergency Response
Topic:Disaster and Emergency Response