The police watch dog has found officers breached policy pursuing a car later involved in a fatal crash in North Canterbury, but did not cause the crash

18-year-old passenger Zara Mitchell died when the car crashed into a tree, then a house, in September last year.

Learner driver Adam Rapson was sentenced to three and a half years' jail.

The Independent Policy Conduct Authority has ruled officers breached aspects of the Fleeing Driver Policy when they signalled the car to stop, knowing it had been pink stickered earlier in the night.

An officer also misled the Emergency Communications Centre by advising they had come to a stop, which they had not.

Police have accepted the findings.