A 15-year-old boy has been charged with manslaughter over the death of a pregnant woman killed in a high speed crash in Hobart, Australia.

The youth has been charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of stealing a car and was due to appear in court on Friday.

Four adolescents were in the car when it crashed early on Friday into a car being driven by a 24-year-old woman, whose baby was later delivered at the Royal Hobart hospital, where it is being treated.

The woman’s two-year-old boy was also in the car and is being treated for minor injuries.

The woman, who was 32 weeks pregnant, had been driving home after dropping her partner at the bakery where he works.

Police are still investigating three other passengers aged 12 to 15.

Police commander Glenn Frame said officers had tried to intercept the RAV4 twice before the crash, but did not pursue it, in accordance with police policy.

“When you have young, inexperienced drivers in stolen vehicles driving like idiots that puts the public at risk,” he told reporters on Friday.

“The last thing we want is police vehicles pursuing those vehicles and putting the public at risk.”