An 11-year-old who allegedly crashed a car carrying four passengers aged under 10 gave a police officer the fingers before speeding off.

Police spotted a vehicle near Rotorua on Friday after 5pm and noticed it suddenly veer off the road and crash into a rock on the side of the road.

Bay of Plenty District Command Centre Senior Sergeant Denis Murphy told the Rotorua Daily Post the officer approached the vehicle and "suddenly a little head popped up from behind the driver's side".

"The youth 'flipped the bird' to the police officer and sped off again."

Murphy said the vehicle had a couple of blown-out tyres and was extensively damaged, and smoke was coming from the engine.

"The officer didn't pursue the vehicle but followed the smoke from a safe distance behind to observe."

It travelled about 1km before pulling into a driveway. Murphy said inside the car there were four passengers, all aged under 10, as well as the 11-year-old driver.

He said thankfully no one was hurt and they would be dealt with by the police's youth aid section.

Murphy said police later found the vehicle belonged to a parent of one of the children.

"This had the potential to be disastrous had the police not intervened. It could have been disastrous for the child driver and his passengers but also other road users as well."