The number of people who died on New Zealand roads rose sharply last year to 297 - up 43 on 2013.

With a hot sun gleaming off the water on Manukau Harbour, it seemed the perfect summer's day to go fishing, but the holiday fishing trip was to end in tragedy.

One of the men who died while crossing the Manukau Bar yesterday has been described as "an awesome husband, dad and grandad" by his family.

Three stricken boaties spent up to two hours treading water after their 5m vessel was swamped by a freak wave while crossing the treacherous Manukau Harbour bar, killing two other crew members.

A Chinese student who died in a Boxing Day smash in Southland has been named by police as the holiday road toll rises to seven.

A young Auckland man is facing charges after he allegedly drove through a stop sign and hit a police car, causing a pile-up that wrote off three vehicles in Gisborne.

A man has died and two others have been seriously injured in the first fatal crash of New Zealand's Christmas and New Year road toll period.

The two children killed in a Northland crash which also killed two men were high achievers who often won awards.

The four people who died in a horrific crash on State Highway One yesterday when a Range Rover did a U-turn into the path of a logging truck have been named.

Police are urging care on the roads over the holidays as a four-car crash leaves one person critically injured.

Driver of a 44-tonne logging truck was powerless to prevent a collision that killed four people and left a boy, 8, fighting for his life.

A baby was feared to be among the victims as six people died and eight were injured when a rubbish truck careered out of control and into crowds of Christmas shoppers.

Gisborne harbourmaster Captain Charlie Jamieson has been killed while riding his motorcycle on the East Cape highway at Waihau Bay near Cape Runaway.

The family of a cyclist left a quadriplegic after riding into a sinkhole are considering legal action over a report into the horrific incident.

Every day before work Auckland dad Danny Mafi drives to his baby daughter's grave to "see her and to say a prayer".

An 8-year-old girl struck on a pedestrian crossing is expected to be woken from her coma today.

The aunt of an eight-year-old struck by a car on a pedestrian crossing saw the accident unfold in her rear-view mirror just seconds after she passed the youngster.

A motorist drove a car into a policeman at a roadside checkpoint, leaving the officer with injuries to his legs, face and arms.

Police have interviewed a woman who allegedly hit a young girl crossing a West Auckland road this morning.

A trailer of a truck has tipped south of Dannevirke this morning, blocking part of State Highway 2 north of Woodville.

An 8-year-old boy remains in a critical condition in Waikato Hospital after a four-vehicle crash yesterday.

An illegal migrant who hid under a truck travelling from France has been killed trying to disembark while the vehicle was stationary on the M25.