Click the image above to view slideshowUPDATE 5.45PM: The section of State Highway 29 in the Lower Kaimais closed after a logging truck crashed into a bank earlier today is now open.
The truck crashed into the bank of the Hamilton-bound lane of SH29 near the Ruahihi Power Station about 1pm, spilling its load.
Firefighters work to free the driver of a truck that crashed on the Kaimais.
Emergency services at the scene of the crash on SH29.
A truck has crashed into a bank on SH29 near Ruahihi Power Station.
Police report the scene is now clear and the road is open in both directions.
The driver, a man in his mid-50s, was initially trapped in the cab before being freed by firefighters and transported to Tauranga Hospital by St John Ambulancem with a suspected broken arm.
A Tauranga St John paramedic spokesperson says the driver was conscious and talking when extracted.
Senior Sergeant Iain Chapman says the crash closed the section of highway between Omanawa Road and Ruahihi Road for around an hour.
The Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit was called to the scene to help ascertain the cause of the crash.
The green fully laden logging truck is believed to have been travelling towards Tauranga from Hamilton when it crashed into the bank, ending up in the opposite lane.
Two ambulances and two fire trucks were also called to the crash scene this afternoon.
Detours were down Poripori Road and Omanawa Road.
17 comments
professional driver
Posted on 24-03-2014 14:43 | By deda
how many times do I have to say this. There too many trucks using the Kaimais and they travel too fast! The Kamai road was not built for this sort of traffic and there will be many more accidents. To top it all, they are strenghning the bridges to take bigger & heavier trucks, madness!!!
.
Posted on 24-03-2014 14:44 | By NZgirl
Get these trucks off our roads
traffic bankin gup nicely
Posted on 24-03-2014 14:47 | By Clover
at Wairoa Road and SH2. Police could do with someone there to control traffic
responce to NZgirl
Posted on 24-03-2014 15:03 | By virgil007
so NZgirl, how do you propose to get logs from the forest to the port for export or to our domestic mills for processing into timber for products we all use & enjoy? not train either, not every forest has a line running at its front gate(s) & very few mills have one ending outside
deda, nzgirl
Posted on 24-03-2014 15:12 | By whatsinaname
there is nothing wrong with the roads. its the drivers........ if they take the trucks away how they get freight to and from the port. just more care needs to be taken. I travel this road every 5 days a week and don't have a problem. only the odd idiot.
What?
Posted on 24-03-2014 15:16 | By Ducky01
What NZgirl and deda? Get these trucks off our roads? Okay. But don't complain when you can't put fuel in your cars because the fuel stations have run out of fuel. Don't complain when grocery stores start running out of supplies. Etc etc. Wake up and realise how important 'truckies' are to our everyday living. And if you're going to complain about getting them off the road due to crashes then sh*t! We better get all the cars off the road too because they have FAR MORE crashes than trucks do!!
NZ dumb & dumber
Posted on 24-03-2014 15:40 | By BennyBenson
Yeah NZgirl & deda "get these trucks off our roads" and then how do you propose moving goods around the country? by bicycle? Might pay to think before you comment!
deda
Posted on 24-03-2014 16:45 | By Clover
I travel over the Kaimais often. 99.9% of truckies are more courteous than car drivers when it comes to other traffic too
truck
Posted on 24-03-2014 17:06 | By Rik
Don't Judge until you have the facts. If there are no trucks there will also be no groceries in store. and if you say ban them from the kaimais then the cost of items in stores will also become more.
k whoppa
Posted on 24-03-2014 17:37 | By Booostn
why not think of the main concern with this article.at least the driver is ok and no one else was involved.think of how bad it could of been
Cause of the crash
Posted on 24-03-2014 21:10 | By jh
Comments are all easy, but maybe this truck driver was not at fault at all, there are lots of other stupid drivers on this road.
crossing
Posted on 24-03-2014 23:35 | By Capt_Kaveman
the centerline is a serious matter, again i will post "THE MAN IN THE VAN DOES NOT SEE DRIVER BEHAVIOR
Too Fast
Posted on 25-03-2014 08:02 | By The Sage
I travel the Kaimais regularly. Most trucks do not stick to the 90kmh limit, they travel too fast and it doesn't appear to be policed. All trucks should have devices installed, monitored by the owning company, to track speed.
RAIL
Posted on 25-03-2014 10:38 | By Colleen Spiro
Ever sat a crossing and counted the logs on trains. I wait and think....these are less on our roads.
General publics ignorance
Posted on 01-04-2014 16:25 | By Kenworthlogger
The comments posted by deda and nzgirl are typical of the general publics ignorance. They are every bodies roads nz girl not just yours. Us truck drivers pay a lot more to use the public road system than you do. The modern logging truck will drive on any road and off-road in the bush so Deda your comments are total rubbish. Maybe we should take all the cars off the road!! There would be far less crashes then.. Check the official road stats I and you will see. Trucks have less accidents than cars do and travel far more accident free kilometres.... Don't remember seeing any car with over a million kilometres on the adometer....
@ kenworthlogger
Posted on 04-04-2014 11:52 | By Ducky01
Couldn't agree more! As the daughter of a driver who has been trucking for over 40 years, i know what you are saying is a fact!
Wake up
Posted on 08-04-2014 14:36 | By triplediamond
Trucks do not cause a crash. Neither do cars or motorcycles... People do. NZ drivers (people) are known to be the least capable and most impatient in the world. Re - test all drivers every 5 yrs. No pass, no drive until undertaking a professional drive training course. Not with one of these undertrained instructors who can't even indicate or give way themselves!
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