'She should have seen the traffic ... what she did see for 14 seconds is her phone.'

Four people have died on North Island roads today, in two separate crashes.

'I couldn’t actually work out a route that was going to work.'

The drivers were the sole occupants of the vehicles.

The AA says the closure must have been 'extraordinarily frustrating' for motorists.

The motorway was closed for hours.

Two people were seriously injured in the crash and a third person was also hospitalised.

Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash at 6.30am.

“Delay your journey or use an alternative route.”

The tragedy happened when the family was going to see the snow for the first time.

"Until we meet again, fly high, our beautiful boy."

Five people were in the car and two were able to get out safely, but three were killed.

Three people have been extricated from a car, following a two-vehicle crash in Waipa.

Emergency services were called to the scene around 8.30pm.

A witness said the man's motorbike slid out and he went headfirst into the middle barrier.

A neighbour says he watched someone remove a battery from the still-waterlogged car.

The car had five occupants, and two escaped following the crash.

The car had five occupants, and two escaped following the crash.

The car had five occupants, and only two have been accounted for.

A person was airlifted to hospital but sadly died later, police said.

'My appetite is not to keep him in the system,' says victim's son after guilty plea.

Emergency services were notified of the fire at 2.16pm.

Emergency services were called to the scene around 9.20pm.

One man was seriously injured and was transported to hospital by helicopter.

Franck Friconnet was on his way to help move cows on his parents' farm when he died.

One person had to be extricated from a car by Fire and Emergency.

Hato Hone St John said five people were taken to hospital via road and helicopter.

'There are two kids lying in the middle of the road,' a witness told police.