Hilarious attempt to right truck after tipping over on Kaimai Ranges

The moment a truck being righted doesn't go to plan. Photo/supplied

The aftermath of a crash where a heavy truck rolled on the Kaimai Range yesterday has been popular online after the correcting of the overturned vehicle went very wrong.

The truck ended up on its side on State Highway 29 on Waitangi Day after travelling about 10 metres on two wheels during an incident where the driver lost control and crashed.

Marty Taranaki was not hurt but a little shaken. He had a few laughs afterwards when efforts to haul the truck back onto four wheels failed, and was caught on camera.

Video footage of a towing company using ropes to pull the truck off its side, only to have it fall onto its other side has been shared extensively online. The truck had been fully loaded with refrigerators for Provida Foods.

Taranaki said it was pretty funny and the incident had helped him shake off some of the shock from his crash.

"I was thinking 'I hope they are in some ways able to stop it from falling back because it's going to swing," Taranaki said.

"It had a gradient on the road ... it was always going to happen.

"That part is funny but there are more serious parts."

Taranaki said he has been charged with careless driving and was disappointed in what happened. It was not yet clear how much damage was sustained to the truck or goods inside.

"I just feel so bummed because I feel like I've let the company down, you know? But they've been really good. The owner of the company reassured me that trucks can be fixed 'as long as you're okay, that's the main thing'."

Taranaki, a proud Christian, said he was incredibly grateful to his employer Provida Foods, and to Jesus for ensuring there were no other vehicles on the road when it happened.

"It was a holiday, you would have expected heaps of cars everywhere."

Western Bay of Plenty acting head of road policing Sergeant Wayne Hunter said despite officers visible in the footage, police had nothing to do with the awkward vehicle recovery. The matter was being dealt with by the towing company involved, Hunter said.

The owner of the towing company has not been able to be reached.