A motorist has captured the moment a delivery truck careened over the centre line, smashing
into the side of a tanker, causing it to topple and block State Highway 1 (SH1) north of Auckland. Police
are appealing to the public for witnesses to the crash and say it is “very fortunate” they are not
dealing with a fatal accident. The company which owns the tanker, Dynes Transport, stated they are
awaiting action against the delivery truck driver.
The main road north was closed for nine hours, forcing motorist detours of up to 33 kilometers after the
crash at Topunui. One frustrated driver described the aftermath as “chaos.” Images from the scene showed
the tanker lying on its side with milk spilling out from the top, causing significant disruption to traffic.
Dashcam footage recorded by another driver followed the NZ Post truck driving southbound toward
Auckland from Whangārei prior to the collision. The video revealed the truck moving dangerously close to
the centre line as it descended a hill, narrowly escaping collision with another truck before veering
directly toward the oncoming Dynes Transport tanker. The tanker attempted to take evasive action to
avoid the crash, but unfortunately tipped over across the busy road.
The Acting Inspector Warwick Stainton indicated how fortunate it is there were no serious injuries or fatalities.
“It’s very fortunate we are not having to investigate a fatal accident or [that] no one was seriously injured,”
he noted, highlighting the luck involved. Stainton also mentioned police are aware of footage of the
accident circulating on social media and are eager to hear from the driver of the car behind the truck.
“We would like to hear from the driver or any other witnesses to the crash, and I ask them to contact
police as soon as possible,” he urged, emphasizing the importance of eyewitness accounts.
The collision occurred around 10:15am, blocking both lanes at the scene, near where Topunui intersects
with Schiska and Otioro roads. The detour established by NZTA was only for light vehicles, compelling
northbound and southbound commuters to navigate through Mangawhai, adding significant distance to their
journey.
One motorist, who encountered the detour remarked, “The road is one car wide. There’s hundreds of
people trying to traverse Northland’s new state highway. I’d advise anyone coming through not to use it
if at all possible.” This highlights the strain on local traffic due to the unexpected blockage.
NZ Post also commented on the incident. “NZ Post takes the safety of our people and community very
seriously. We will be following internal safety processes to understand what happened here, including
an internal investigation,” stated a spokesperson for the company. The findings from this inquiry are expected to
aid the company in enhancing their safety measures moving forward.
Meanwhile, Dynes Transport is also aware of the situation and the spokesperson mentioned, “It’s
in the hands of the police and we await the action against the other driver.” This emphasizes the legal
consequences the truck driver may face following this serious incident.
Police continue to appeal for any witnesses, requesting those with information to contact them using
reference number P061495687. They are working diligently to gather all facts surrounding the collision.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of road safety and vigilance, particularly on highways
where large vehicles are prevalent. With the internal investigation by NZ Post and the police inquiry
ongoing, it remains to be seen how accountability will manifest from this unfortunate occurrence.