Rubbish truck's unscheduled dump

Police say the driver of the flipped truck could face charges. Photo / Alan Gibson

A rubbish truck left the road in the Kaimai Ranges yesterday, taking a chunk out of a bank before its trailer flipped and spilled waste over the road.

State Highway 29 between Tauranga and Matamata was closed for about three hours while the road was cleared. Diversions were in place on each side of the highway.

The truck, from the Envirowaste transfer station in Greerton, Tauranga, was taking waste to Hampton Downs in Hamilton when the trailer tipped on its side on the Omanawa River Bridge.

Sergeant Mark Holmes told the Herald it was too early to tell how the trailer had flipped. If the load was unsecure, the driver could face charges.

The truck was towed to the Tauranga for a mechanical inspection.

Mr Holmes said the driver was shaken but unhurt.