Police have described as ''abominable'' a male driver alleged to have left his young female companion dying after crashing the car following a police pursuit.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp described the chain of events that led to the 18-year-old Mernda woman to be fighting for her life at the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Saturday.

Northcote police were patrolling in Preston when they saw a green Hyundai travel north out of Foley Avenue, up Albert Street at about 5.10am.

Mr Crisp said the patrol car officers attempted to pull over the driver.

''It was 5.10 in the morning - not that many vehicles around - and police doing what police do, it was just a routine intercept to see who was driving around the streets at this time of the morning,'' Mr Crisp said.