Truck and trailer crash brings down powerlines

A truck and trailer unit crashed off State Highway 1 taking with it powerlines. Photo/ Supplied

Quick-thinking by an electrician may have saved a truck driver's life after the truck and trailer crashed off the road taking with it a power line.

But the sparkie's vehicle didn't fare as well after it was hit by another vehicle as he was helping out the truckie.

The Whangārei electrician, and coincidentally a Northpower worker, was following the southbound truck and trailer unit and watched the unit crash into a ditch on State Highway 1 just south of Waipū about 11.30am today. Constable Marie Holden said the electrician stopped his vehicle, put on his vehicle hazard lights, and proceeded to tell the truck driver to stay in the cab until the area could be safely isolated.

The sparkie then rang the Northpower control room in Whangārei and alerted staff to the crash and when the are was safe he relayed the message to the truck driver, who was otherwise uninjured.

Unfortunately the electrician's vehicle was hit from behind by another motorist but fortunately no one was seriously injured.

Traffic was down to one lane for most of the day until two cranes were used to pull the truck and trailer back onto the highway, which temporarily closed the road about 3.30pm.

Holden said after initial investigations it appeared the trailer unit had gone into loose gravel by the fog line and then had gone in the ditch, pulling the truck unit over.

North power spokesman Steve Macmillan confirmed the Northpower worker was the first on the scene and was able to help the truck driver. Power was knocked out to 215 customers in the area but they were back on at just after 3pm in time for milking.

A power pole was replaced.

"The Northpower worker did the right thing until the area was made safe and there was no risk of electrocution," Macmillan said.