Fonterra truck demolishes Patea office building
BY LAIRD HARPER
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Debris was strewn over Patea's main street early yesterday when an out-of-control milk tanker ploughed off the street and obliterated a building.
Stunned onlookers said the Fonterra driver cheated death after his 17-tonne truck sheared a power pole, careered across the forecourt of the town's service station then smashed through an office building.
BP Patea owner Jay Knight "watched in awe" as the drama unfolded before him.
"I was inside talking to a customer and heard a loud grumbling noise. I looked out the window to see him take out the power pole, smash through our big BP sign then crash into the building."
There were vehicles filling up at the time including his brother Chris.
"He was at the other end of the forecourt so the truck missed him by about 10-15 metres. But it only just missed another pump by five metres.
"We ran straight to the truck to see if he was OK. He had cuts up his legs and arms and he was very shaken. But he seemed OK."
After things quietened down Mr Knight rewound his surveillance cameras for a second look.
"It happened so fast yet at the time felt like everything was in slow-mo," he said.
The destroyed building, on the corner of Egmont St and Lincoln St, is owned by Hawera accounting firm Hughson and Associates and director Mark Hughson said it was insured and used only occasionally for meetings with southern clients.
"We were there a couple of weeks ago with people from Palmerston North, right where the truck went through," Mr Hughson said.
A sturdy strongroom ended the rogue truck's destructive run.
"It's one of the old walk-in types and it hit that, apparently, otherwise it might have carried on through the next building [the Patea Maori Club]," he said.
Rob Grout, who lives adjacent to the building, said he thought something had just collapsed.
"I didn't expect to see what I did.
"It just sounded like a building was collapsing, there was no loud bang."
The crash had happened on a straight stretch of road.
Senior Constable Dennis Buijtendijk of Patea police would not be drawn on reasons for the crash.
"At this stage there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the tanker but investigations are continuing."
Mr Buijtendijk said police haven't decided if the 48-year-old driver, of Waverley, would face charges.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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