Elderly ute driver dies after roll

Emergency services were unsuccessful in their attempts to resuscitate a 70-year-old whose ute rolled down a bank at Tamaterau. Photo / Supplied

A Northland man has died after his ute rolled about 80m down a steep bank on Whangarei Heads farmland yesterday.

The 70-year-old was in critical condition when St John staff arrived via rescue helicopter, but he died at the scene.

Emergency services were called to the "hilly farmland" off Waitotara Lane, Tamaterau, about 8.30am, Sergeant Mark Andrews said.

"It appears that he's been up a grass track and the ute has lost traction and rolled down a bank. We're really early in the investigation," he said, estimating the vehicle had rolled 70-80m.

St John acting district operations manager Mark Going said the Northland Emergency Services Trust helicopter originally aimed to winch the man out.

"In the end we were able to land nearby," he said. "It was very steep country and the patient was found beside the vehicle. Resuscitation attempts were made by paramedics and the fire service at the scene but the patient has died at the scene."

Police and Worksafe NZ were investigating the death.

Federated Farmers' Katie Milne said she was reluctant to comment while the cause of death was unknown.

"It is a terrible tragedy and with all these things we have to find out what the circumstances were before commenting on any safety learning " if there is any," she said.

Later in the day emergency services attended a second incident when a man in his mid-20s broke his leg outside a car wreckers on Rewa Rewa Rd, Whangarei.

A staff member at the business said the man was not a fellow worker. The patient was taken to Whangarei Hospital in a moderate condition about 3.30pm.

A spokeswoman for Worksafe confirmed the organisation was investigating both incidents.