Man dies after truck plunges down bank in Northland's Kaiwaka
Tuesday, 7 May 2019
A man has died and a main highway will be affected for hours after a truck crash in Kaiwaka, Northland, about 6am on Tuesday.
A police spokesman said the truck crashed into a stationary vehicle and went down a bank.
The driver, the only occupant, died at the scene.
The crash occurred near the intersection of State Highway 1 and Settlement Rd.
READ MORE: One critically injured following crash that closed road on State Highway 1 in Northland
The serious crash unit was at the scene.
State Highway 1 was reduced to one lane north of Topuni and that was expected to be the case until at least 2pm.
The police advised motorists to be patient, expect delays and to avoid the area if they could while a crane was brought in to remove the truck.
Ministry of Transport figures showed since the beginning of the year, 10 people had died on roads in Northland.
In 2018, 35 people died on the road in Northland. There were 27 road deaths in 2016 and 18 in 2014.
The highest road toll in Northland was in 1989 with 54 deaths and the lowest was in 2011 with seven.
No one else was injured in the crash.