Sunday drive in country ends down bank

A couple were injured when their 4x4 rolled down a steep hill. Photo / Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter

A couple had a lucky escape when their 4WD plunged 60m down a hill near Wanganui yesterday.

The husband and wife were part of a group of vehicles driving along farm tracks in Mangamahu, 40km north-east of Wanganui, when they failed to take a corner.

It was one of a series of serious accidents around the country over the weekend - including fatal crashes in Auckland and Canterbury.

The 4x4 dropped "nose first" and then rolled down the steep slope, pilot Clayton Girven of the Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter said.

The vehicle stopped about a quarter of the way down. The helicopter winched down a paramedic to treat the woman before she was rescued off the steep slope.

"Her husband had already climbed back to the top of the track where the other vehicles had stopped to assist with the accident."

Both were flown to Wanganui Hospital where they were in a stable condition.

Meanwhile, three young people are in Auckland City Hospital recovering after the car they were in crashed near Muriwai Beach on Saturday. The 23-year-old driver, who was reportedly a disqualified driver, was killed.

Two women, aged 18 and 21, and a 24-year-old man are in a stable condition at Auckland City Hospital.

The driver, whose name had not been released yesterday, was following a friend when the crash occurred.

Acting Sergeant Colin Nutall of the Waitemata serious crash unit said it was too early to say what caused the car to crash.

The weekend's other road death was a 49-year-old who died at the scene of the single vehicle crash on Haldon Rd near Lake Tekapo.

Two other people had been in the vehicle.