Milk delivery truck allegedly stolen during service station stop

A milk truck allegedly stolen from a Hamilton petrol station evaded police for about 30km before its tyres were spiked.

No one was injured but a police inspector said that, given the size of the vehicle, “things could have been worse”.

Meanwhile, a Fonterra spokesperson said the dairy products in the truck were untouched.

The alleged theft happened after the driver of the Isuzu N series milk truck entered a service station on Ulster St to make a delivery just after 4am.

When the driver came out of the service station, the truck had disappeared.

Hamilton City area commander Inspector Andrea McBeth said the driver tracked his truck using its GPS and relayed its location to authorities.

Police found it travelling north on Te Rapa Rd and allege that, despite signals to pull over, the driver did not stop.

McBeth said police followed the truck at a safe distance while it drove through Ngāruawahia to Waingaro Rd.

“Other police units were deployed to cordon the vehicle,” McBeth said.

After the truck allegedly ran through red lights on Te Rapa Rd, police spiked and deflated three of its tyres.

“The truck came to a halt on Waingaro Road,” McBeth said.

“But to gain entry to the vehicle, police had to smash a window to arrest the driver, who refused to leave the truck cab.”

Police followed the stolen milk truck at a safe distance while it drove through Ngāruawahia to Waingaro Rd.

A 32-year-old man appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday facing a charge of unlawful taking and may face further charges.

“This is a great bit of teamwork by our public safety team and road policing staff,” McBeth said.

“We are relieved the matter was resolved with no issues or injuries to anyone – including members of the public. Given the size of the vehicle taken, things could have been worse.”

She said the incident was a reminder to drivers never to leave their keys in a vehicle or leave it running at any time or anywhere.

“It’s also a timely reminder to anybody that, if you see any suspicious activity or witness any unlawful incidents, contact police via 111 if it’s happening now.”

A Fonterra spokesperson confirmed a Fonterra franchisee truck was involved in the incident.

“We would like to thank the NZ Police for their swift action in this matter,” the spokesperson told the Waikato Herald.

“We are happy to say that the dairy products were untouched and have been appropriately recovered.”

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.