A man received life-threatening back and head injuries after falling from a deck in Auckland last night.

A man died in the Far North after he climbed a power pole and touched wires connected to a 11,000 volt transformer following a fight with his girlfriend.

Last year, almost 1000 Kiwis died suddenly at the hands of others, in crashes or through suicide.

A Nelson father of four who died after being swept off his yacht had 25 years' experience on the water, his friends say.

Well-wishers have donated nearly $25k to help two girls whose mother was killed in a drink-drive smash, but the money is untouched because of a family row.

A woman almost killed when she was dragged 60m behind a vehicle in South Auckland was not the victim of a hit-and-run as first suspected.

One person was seriously injured when a ute and a milk tanker crashed in the Bay of Plenty this morning.

A power cut in Upper Hutt tonight was caused by a car travelling at excessive speed and then crashing in Henry Street, police say.

A man who broke his back in three places in a car accident had to battle ACC three times over 12 years to get compensation and he's still waiting.

A 14-year-old boy who died after the 4-wheel-drive vehicle he was in rolled was one of four people killed in crashes over the weekend.

There's not much that's good about tumbling 5m down a blowhole and breaking your pelvis in three places.

A lawyer has won a three-year battle against ACC, which claimed pain she suffered after a car crash was from degeneration and not a neck injury.

Fifteen-year-old Brigitte Allan watched helplessly as her older sister and fellow cyclist Maggie collided with a van during a training ride, followed by four of their friends.

'I've got bruises like tyre marks up my leg," says Guy Speedy, vibrant and laughing just two days after being run over by his own tractor.

Five schoolgirl cyclists injured in a collision with a van north of Hamilton yesterday are at home recovering.

Five top schoolgirl cyclists and their coach, hurt when a car collided with them on a rural Waikato road, have now been discharged from hospital.

An elderly farmer who was run over by his own tractor is a "tough old coot" who is already back to his "cheeky self" after surgery, his family say.

A woman killed in a collision with a school bus in Taranaki yesterday was a young German national.