The impact left the front of his truck almost unrecognisable - the wreckage sitting on top of the motorway barrier.
Markers laid out by police indicated the truck had skidded before losing control and flipping.
Police said traffic heading from the airport was backed up to about Massey Rd. South-bound traffic faced delays on Hillsborough, Queenstown and Mt Albert Rds.
By about 7pm, the jam had eased.
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Two onlookers - who did not want to be named - said that shortly before 5pm the traffic was "completely backed up - there were people sitting on the tops of their cars. They knew they wouldn't be going anywhere".
The crash choked side roads as well as the motorway. But about 6.30pm, onlookers were shocked as several cars sped towards the site.
As police tried to stop them, one vehicle reversed the wrong way down the motorway. After about half an hour, the vehicles were helped back the way they had come.
Police said they would investigate the crash using motorway cameras.
The motorway was finally reopened after 9 o'clock last night.
Earlier in the afternoon, a 13-year-old girl was killed when two vehicles crashed on State Highway 1, north of Wellington.
The two male drivers of the vehicles were taken to Palmerston North Hospital with serious injuries.
A male motorcyclist in his late 20s died when his bike and a truck collided at Mangakino, south of Hamilton, about 2.30pm.
- additional reporting: NZME.
