When Hawkins returned home but Patutahi director Beverley Hancox told him there would be a meeting the following day. She would not tell him what it was about.
All onsite staff attended the meeting the next day.
At the meeting Hancox accused Hawkins of speeding and said he had caused the crash the previous day, and had GPS evidence to prove it.
Hawkins disputed this and said it was the foreman, Hancox's son, who was speeding.
Hawkins said the truck he was driving did not have a radio transmitter to notify oncoming vehicles or to receive notifications of oncoming vehicles.
The conversation became heated and in a second meeting held with just Hancox, Hawkins and his supervisor, he was told he was being laidoff and would receive two weeks' notice wages as well as his annual leave pay.
The ERA said that during its investigation meeting, which Patutahi failed to attend, Hawkins and his partner gave evidence of the effects his dismissal had on him.
It said Hawkins explained how he had "almost been driven to a place of no return".
He said he couldn't pay the bills, which led to the family going into debt.
He said his marriage suffered, as did his relationship with his children. Hawkins' partner talked about him being unable to sleep and becoming very emotional.
In the ERA ruling, member of authority Jenni-Maree Trotman said the process leading to Hawkins' dismissal was immediate and abrupt.
She said the company did not offer Hawkins a reasonable opportunity to respond to the concerns before his dismissal.
The ERA ruled Hawkins had been unfairly dismissed and ordered Patutahi to pay $5843 in wage arrears, $5000 in compensation for humiliation and $2210 for lost wages.
