Police said the boy was driving north with three other teenagers along Maryborough-Hervey Bay Road on Queensland's Fraser Coast at 6.10pm on Thursday when he veered onto the opposite side of the road.
The Mitsubishi Lancer then swiped a small Suzuki Swift before colliding with an orange Kona, which was then impacted from the rear by a following Volkswagen Polo.
There were lengthy delays as emergency services rushed to the scene, with multiple people needing to be freed from their vehicles.
All four teenagers in the Mitsubishi sustained potentially life-threatening injuries, with a 16-year-old girl later airlifted to Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital in a critical condition.
The driver, a 14-year-old Urangan boy, and two other passengers - a 14-year-old Granville boy and a 16-year-old Maryborough girl - were transported to Hervey Bay Hospital with various head, limb, abdominal and pelvic injuries.Â
The driver of the Suzuki, an 18-year-old Wondunna woman, was airlifted to Maryborough Hospital with limb injuries in a stable condition.
Her 58-year-old passenger was taken to Maryborough Hospital with chest and abdominal injuries in a stable condition.
The driver of the Kona, a 40-year-old Eli Waters man, was trapped along with a 40-year-old woman and a two-year-old girl, all of whom were taken to Hervey Bay Hospital in potentially life-threatening conditions.
The sole occupant of the Volkswagen, a 19-year-old male, was taken to Maryborough hospital in a stable condition with limb injuries.
Drivers must be at least 17 years old to qualify for a provisional driver's license in Queensland.
Police have urged anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.
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