Boy, 9, killed in quadbike accident

A boy aged nine was killed when a quadbike driven by his teenage brother plunged into a ditch and rolled on top of the youngster.

Police said the brother, 19, is shaken and "emotionally distraught" after the tragedy.

The accident happened on a Kerikeri orchard at 6pm on Friday. The teenager was driving the bike with his younger brother sitting behind him. Police say he drove the bike into a ditch and it rolled on top of the younger boy, who suffered serious head injuries. Neither boy was wearing a helmet.

Despite family members' attempts to revive him, the child died before medical help arrived. The family has requested that the boy's name not be made public.

The accident has been referred to the coroner and Sergeant Tony Dunckley said it was too early to say if charges would be laid. "Police will be treating this as a farm accident, not a road accident, and no decision has been made at this stage," he said.

Last year Taranaki farmer Gavin Vanner was charged with manslaughter but later acquitted after his four-year-old daughter Molly died when the quadbike she was riding rolled on top of her.

Vanner's wife Wendy said her heart went out to the Northland family. "I've been through what these people are going through and it's awful," she said.

Federated Farmers deputy chief executive Don Nicholson said quadbike accidents kill about 14 children each year. The organisation has put out safety guidelines for quadbikes which state special care should be taken when any passenger is carried - and that helmets should always be worn.

Nicholson said: "A lot of city people come out and treat them like toys. But they're potentially very dangerous."

Transport Minister Harry Duynhoven said OSH was reviewing the legislation governing quadbike use but, with children's bikes available for purchase, it was difficult to imagine outlawing them.

- Additional reporting Jonathan Marshall