Updated: Staff elude runaway truck

CLEAN UP: Police and Unison contractors work at removing the truck from the scene of the crash.PHOTO/BEN FRASER 311013BF20

Caltex Te Ngae Service station staff had a narrow escape after a runaway truck smashed into a lamp nearly hitting them and an LPG tank yesterday.

The truck, which had been parked on a property across Te Ngae Rd, rolled down a drive, crossed the road and went through the Te Ngae and Owhata Rds roundabout before crashing into a street lamp. The vehicle came to rest just 15m from staff and 50m from a flammable Rockgas storage tank.

Caltex Te Ngae manager Prased Pilla said he couldn't believe how fortunate they were.

"Basically we were saved by the pole, otherwise it could have hit my office or worse."

Mr Pilla said when the truck rolled out and crossed the roundabout, it was lucky there were no cars on it and no pedestrians on the footpath.

"Trucks park in the driveway every day I didn't realise there was no driver at first. I do not know what happened."

The street lamp sheared in two. The truck was also lodged on a gas pipe which complicated the operation to remove it. Unison contractors and Vector staff were on hand to supervise the truck's removal.

Unison Power's communication advisor Naomi Fergusson said it was lucky the incident occurred in the daytime as there was no electricity flowing through the pole.

Mrs Fergusson said it did not cause a power outage, so no customers were affected by the downed pole.

"It would have been a different story if it happened at night when the pole was live."

Traffic diversions remained in place for about an hour as the truck blocked off one lane of Te Ngae Road and traffic travelling towards the airport was diverted through Brent Rd.

Vector's external relations manager Sandy Hodge said no gas outages were listed in the system.

Neighbour Lynette Beamsley was inside her house at the time and said she heard the crash.

"It was quite loud and I thought, 'There's been an accident ... I saw the pole ... we have been very lucky."

Rotorua police acting Inspector Brendon Keenan said the truck's driver had left the braking system off.