Motorist halts runaway truck in NZ

A quick-thinking driver in New Zealand recently averted potential tragedy by safely bringing a runaway truck to standstill

Motorists south of Auckland on a busy section of New Zealand’s State Highway 1 recently got a nasty wake-up call, when a 29-tonne truck lost control after its driver suffered a medical event.

New Zealand news service APNZ reports the Mitsubishi Shogun truck, which was carrying a digger, began weaving along its lane on the Waikato Expressway around 7.00am on Wednesday, February 12.

A nearby motorist sounded his horn in an attempt to alert the truck’s driver, who had slumped behind the steering wheel, then proceeded to follow the vehicle with hazard lights flashing to alert fellow drivers of the danger.

Waikato’s Road Policing Manager, Inspector Freda Grace, said the truck posed a serious threat on the motorway despite the low speeds at which it was travelling.

The motorist followed the truck at approximately 20km/h until the truck collided with a barrier before a section of road works. The force of the impact slowed the truck sufficiently for the motorist to leave their car, climb into the truck’s cab, and pull on the handbrake.

Police arrived soon after and called an ambulance to attend to the truck driver, who is now recovering.

Authorities have praised the quick-thinking motorist, whose actions could well have prevented a serious accident.

They have also highlighted the dangers of driving with a known medical complaint and have urged motorists to be thoroughly aware of their condition, its treatment and the early signs of any medical episode.

Motorist halts runaway truck in NZ

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