Facts about the christmas road toll such as the highest and lowest amount of deaths and the factors involved.
An Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter crewman jumped in to look after a 6-month old baby and accompany her injured mother to hospital after a serious car crash.
The baby girl was the youngest injured in a head-on crash on the Kaipara Coast Highway, northwest of Auckland, on Friday. It wasone of many crashes that have injured or killed dozens over the holiday period.
A woman in her 40s had serious injuries and two others were moderately injured in the crash.
The woman's baby had minor injuries and was checked at North Shore Hospital.
About three people were thought to be in the other car. Two suffered moderate injuries.
Helicopter chief crewman Mark Cannell said looking after the baby and accompanying her to the hospital seemed like the right thing to do.
"There was another passenger in that vehicle that came separately to the hospital but it was important to enable the little one to stay with mum," he said.
"[She] was quite well behaved for a 6-month-old. She fell asleep in the helicopter, but unfortunately was woken up when mum went into ventilation."
Cannell described her as a "beautiful little girl".
Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter chief crewman Mark Cannell escorted the six-month old baby to hospital to be with her mother. Photo / Westpac Rescue Helicopter
He said the impact of the crash seemed substantial and it looked as though it could have caused "a great deal more damage" than it did.
He added that the passengers involved could consider themselves lucky that their injuries weren't more serious.
The pair were among dozens who have been injured or killed on our roads during the holiday period to date.
The summer holiday road toll stood at seven today, but many others have been injured - some seriously - in crashes up and down the country.
A St John spokeswoman said the patients were transported to Middlemore Hospital. Three patients were in a serious condition, two had moderate injuries and one had minor injuries.
A hospital spokeswoman said all six patients were in a stable condition on Wednesday afternoon.
And six people were rushed to hospital with a range of injuries after two cars collided at the intersection of Orari Station Rd and State Highway 1 in South Canterbury yesterday.
Two of the six were taken to Christchurch Hospital with serious injuries. The other four were taken to Timaru Hospital with moderate injuries.
The crash happened at the intersection of Orari Station Rd and State Highway 1 about 11.30am.
Several hours later one person was seriously injured and four people suffered minor injuries after a two-car crash in the Lindis Pass near Omarama.
A teenager was rushed to Middlemore Hospital in a critical condition yesterday after he fell off the back of a moving ute.
