Lost truck hooks telephone line in Victory Pl, Whanganui

A Fire and Emergency NZ staffer holds up a damaged phone line while a truck reverses. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Glen Campbell was in his Victory Pl kitchen just before 10am on Sunday morning when he heard a bang and thought "not again".

He went outside to find a huge truck and trailer unit up on his lawn and just 3m from his bedroom which had caught the telephone landline to his house.

Two truck and trailer units traveling north through Whanganui were directed by GPS to the Dublin St Bridge - which has height restrictions - instead of the Cobham Bridge which is part of State Highway 3.

"They were following each other and the GPS took them to Dublin St Bridge," Fire and Emergency NZ station officer Jes Sorensen said.

"They couldn't cross that so they thought they would go up and find another one."

Campbell said lost trucks had come into his cul-de-sac expecting to drive around the block to turn around at least three times recently.

"At least this time they stopped," he said.

The two truck and trailer units that fetched up in the street had taken loads of offal to a facility in Hāwera and were on their way back to Cambridge.

They chose Victory Pl, a street signposted "no exit".

"It needs a dirty big sign up there saying 'No trucks, No truck and trailers'," Campbell said.

His neighbour, Dave Thompson, has put rocks on the berm in an effort to prevent further damage by cars and trucks.

"I have spoken to the council about this time and time again. Every time a truck comes down here they rip up all the lawns and everything," Thompson said.

The two trucks were given a police escort to the Cobham Bridge and out of town.