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A rescue worker guides the Westpac rescue helicopter to the scene of a fatal truck crash near Ashburton yesterday afternoon.
PHOTO TETSURO MITOMO 080915-TM-148
Truck plunges off bridge BY DAISY HUDSON
DAISY.H@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
A man returning to a transport yard after a day’s work was killed after the truck he was driving plunged into a riverbed near Ashburton yesterday afternoon. The man, aged in his 60s, was seriously injured after the truck he was driving left a single-lane bridge on Maronan Road at about 4.40pm and crashed into the riverbed below, according to Inspector Dave Gaskin. Emergency service crews,
including an urban search and rescue crew from Timaru, worked for nearly an hour to extract him from the truck before he was pronounced dead at the scene. A spokesman for the Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade told the Guardian that rescue workers had “some trouble” getting to the truck because of the terrain and the way the vehicle had landed. A serious crash investigation was under way at the scene last night, and the road remained
closed while police conducted a scene examination and removed the vehicle from the riverbed. The name of the deceased will be released once next of kin have been informed, Mr Gaskin said. The driver worked for Ryal Bush Transport Ashburton Ltd, which is located on Maronan Road. Scott O’Donnell, managing director of H. W. Richardson, which is a part-owner of the transport company, said the man was driving a 4WD fertilising
spreading truck and trailer. Both were empty at the time of the crash, he said. “We believe our driver was returning to the yard after a day’s work,” he said. “What we don’t know is how he hit the bridge, there doesn’t seem to have been other vehicles involved, so we don’t know why that is.” The man had worked for the company for “five or six years”, he said. “It’s a sad end for a guy in his 60s, he was a good operator, we
just don’t know why he’s not here with us anymore really,” he said. “Our focus is with the family, giving them comfort at this critical time.” Fire crews from Ashburton, Hinds and Timaru attended the scene, as did the Westpac rescue helicopter. The incident marked the second fatal crash in the Ashburton District this year. Terry Henry Munday, 63, died after the car he was driving failed to negotiate a moderate bend on Grahams Road in July. Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe!
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