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A 57-year-old Te Puke man is in Tauranga Hospital after the vehicle he was travelling in was crushed by wheels which had come loose from a large truck.
The dual wheels, which jointly left the truck as it headed north on State Highway 2 between Domain Road and Te Maunga, came to rest 40metres to east of the highway after striking the vehicle at about 1.30pm.
The rear wheels of a truck came loose and hit an oncoming car on SH2 near Papamoa this afternoon. Photo: Ben Guild.
Stripped pieces of rubber from the rogue tyres and skid marks measuring many metres in length were clearly visible at the scene, as was the driver of the truck assisting police with their inquiries.
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Ian Campion says the Te Puke man sustained chest injuries and was taken to Tauranga Hospital by St John ambulance.
Ian says the man’s vehicle incurred “extensive damage”, but the truck driver had been unaware of what had happened until he was flagged down by another motorist further down the highway.
The Serious Crash Unit will be investigating to see why the mechanical malfunction occurred, says Ian.
There was no disruption to traffic.
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