Police have defended their handling of a harbour bridge crash which closed three northbound lanes on Saturday, causing traffic jams that crippled the Auckland's transport system.

Danny and Lope Mafi were excited about moving out of their cramped South Auckland unit to a bigger house that would give their children more space to play.

John Key has ruled out an earlier construction date for a second harbour crossing in response to huge traffic jams which brought Auckland roads to a standstill on Saturday.

City leaders question why a crash on the harbour bridge brought Auckland to a standstill. We look at the options for easing congestion if it happened again.

An anguished man was seen screaming in horror as he carried an 18-month-old girl moments after she was accidentally run over in a South Auckland driveway.

Nick Wallbridge was left fighting for his life after a van smash that killed his teacher and classmate.

A serious crash brought Auckland’s motorway network to its knees with motorists stuck in grid-locked traffic for up to four hours.

Two motorcyclists have been critically injured in a crash on Auckland's Harbour Bridge today.

The scene of a serious crash on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge has been cleared and the northbound lanes reopened.

A man is dead and another person is in hospital following a crash on Parewanui Rd in Bulls.

A pregnant woman has been flown to hospital after being hit by a car near Nelson.

An Otago man on a suspended licence continued driving a car as it fell apart around him, only stopping when the engine finally gave up.

The parents of a little girl who died after being struck by a car in her West Auckland driveway have paid tribute to their princess. 'She was amazing.'

It has been a bad year on the roads, with a sharp increase in deaths compared with this time last year, as well as a big rise in pedestrian fatalities.

A van carrying seven occupants collided head on with a fully laden logging truck in Kaingaroa this morning.

A car driven by tourists was seen on the wrong side of the road shortly before it crashed on the West Coast of the South Island yesterday, killing one.

A motorcyclist who died after he left the road and crashed into a tree on Banks Peninsula at the weekend has been named by police.

Friends and family have paid tribute to the man killed in a tractor accident near Waikouaiti earlier this week as a "hell of a good guy".

A tourist driver who arrived from Australia early in the morning and hired a rental car, fell asleep at the wheel - causing a head-on crash that killed his mother.

Police believe a male motorcyclist killed in Christchurch yesterday lost control of his bike.

A misguided dive onto a bed has left a former top volleyball representative not knowing if she will walk again.

The family of a young Kiwi man killed in a drunken car crash while on holiday in Samoa feel they may never get justice for their son.

Police believe a male motorcyclist killed in Christchurch today lost control of his bike.

One was a young man with his life ahead of him, the other a dad who shared his joy in nature and adventure with his two little girls.

Two people are dead and seven injured following a crash between Rotorua and Taupo involving a milk tanker and a van.

A 55-tonne crane and a boat have toppled and crashed into a North Shore house.

A young man who was behind the wheel of a ute that hit a commuter train in Wairarapa, killing his 15-year-old girlfriend, has been sentenced to 200 hours' community service.

An elderly woman who was riding a mobility scooter when she was hit by a truck in Katikati on Monday has died overnight.