Five Harford County teen-agers were injured, two critically, when a car struck a tree in Bel Air early yesterday.

It took firefighters working with hydraulic rescue equipment about 25 minutes to free two youths pinned in the wreckage of a four-door Volkswagen Jetta shortly after midnight, said Capt. Edward Hopkins of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.

The car was "pretty well mangled in the tree," no more than eight feet off the 1000 block of East MacPhail Road, a "bumpy, curvy country road," he said.

While the portion of the road where the accident occurred is straight, it is unlighted.

Most seriously injured was the driver, Michael Brady, 17, of Abingdon.

He was flown by State Police MedEvac helicopter to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in critical condition last night.

Also at Shock Trauma was Marcus Harris, 18, of Joppa, listed in serious but stable condition.

Tim Ferriter, 17, of Bel Air, was flown to Shock Trauma, then transferred to University Hospital, where he was reported in critical condition.

Dave Stever was listed in stable condition at Fallston General Hospital in Fallston.

Christopher Sipes of Joppa was treated there and released.

Captain Hopkins could not confirm their ages, but said he believed they were 17 or 18.