Police say a driver whose car plunged 200 metres down a steep bank on the Rimutaka Hill Road, near Wellington, is lucky to be alive.
The man's rental car crashed through a fence before hurtling down the bank, landing on its roof.
Upper Hutt Area Commander Mike Hill says freeing the injured man, in his 20s, from the upturned car was a delicate operation.
He says the car was secured by ropes attached to fire service vehicles so it could not slip any further down the bank.
Mr Hill says the driver put on a stretcher which was pulled back up the bank by ropes.
He says the man has multiple fractures and was taken by helicopter to Wellington Hospital.
The crash closed State Highway 2 for four hours. It was reopened at 2.15pm on Sunday.
Meanwhile, State Highway 2 south of Netherton in Waikato was closed for a time on Sunday morning after a car and truck collided, injuring three people.
Two people were flown by helicopter to Waikato Hospital, one in a critical condition, the other in a serious condition. A third person who had moderate injuries was taken to Thames Hospital.
