A New Zealand police officer died in hospital on Wednesday and another was seriously hurt after a driver ran them down as they patrolled on foot in the early hours of New Year’s Day, the country’s police chief said.

New Zealand police officer killed in vehicle ramming attack in city of Nelson - Vehicle drives into police officers ‘at speed’ as they perform routine patrol of car park on New Year’s Day

A tragic incident unfolded in Nelson, New Zealand, on New Year's Day when two police officers on foot patrol were struck by a vehicle. Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming was fatally injured, marking the first time a female officer in the country's history has been killed by a criminal act while on duty.

A local mother has been identified as the police officer brutally killed in a car ramming in Nelson, a city in the northwest of New Zealand’s South Island, in an incident described by police as “deliberate”.

A driver ran down two New Zealand police officers on patrol in the early hours of New Year’s Day, killing one and seriously injuring the other, the country’s police chief said.