Swarming bees kept firefighters from the scene of a road crash near Gladstone today involving an overturned truck laden with hives.
Carterton deputy fire chief Bryan Styles said a crew of volunteer firefighters were scrambled to the crash scene on Gladstone Rd about 8.30 this morning.
He said the driver of the truck had lost control of his vehicle, which slid and toppled at the roadside, coming to rest on its side and throwing its load of hives to the ground.
"We didn't do a lot once we got there really - we just couldn't get near it because of the bees."
He said firefighters treated a small cut above the truck driver's eye and "we left the rest to police and the beekeepers".
