Elderly man killed by runaway truck

The scene where a man was crushed to death between two trucks. Photo / Otago Daily Times

A runaway truck rolled down a hill and fatally pinned a 62-year-old man against another truck yesterday in a tragedy that has shocked a small community.

Stanley Eric Turner was talking to two truck drivers on a property opposite his Dunedin home, when one of their trucks rolled forward and hit him. It carried him back into the next truck, crushing him.

The trucks were from Steve Clearwater Contracting and the drivers were being counselled.

Last night Clearwater said his thoughts were with the victim's family.

The driver had not been in the truck when it rolled over Turner, he confirmed.

He said the truck was being tested to see if there had been problems with its brakes.

One upset neighbour said the tragedy had shocked the small community of Portobello, outside Dunedin: "A truck had shunted into another vehicle and was resting on our fence," he said. "The property is pretty steep and the fence would have stopped it."

Dunedin police inspector Chris McClellan described the accident as "very sad".

Police were speaking yesterday to the two truckies, who were the only immediate witnesses, and the Serious Crash Unit and Commercial Inspection team were at the scene. OSH was also notified because the incident involved commercial vehicles.

Also yesterday morning, a man was killed and one seriously injured in a crash 5km south of Bulls.

Luke Graham, 28, died at the scene on Parewanui Rd while the other man, also in his 20s, was taken to the Palmerston North hospital in a serious condition. Both men were from Bulls.

Voluntary chief fire officer Brian Carter said it looked like the car had missed a corner and slammed into a tree.

He said he received a phone call to remove a body part from the car, which was handed on to the police.

"The Holden was completely disintegrated. The car hit the tree, spun around and up the side of it and on impact the engine had been fired out of the car getting shot across eight to 10 metres," he said.

Graham had been employed at the Young M&P fruit and vegetable store in Bulls for several years.

Owner Margaret Young paid tribute to her hardworking staff member.

"He was a really, really nice guy, an amazing person," she said.

"We just feel the loss. The whole staff feel the loss. We are still coming to terms with it all."

The other man was taken to hospital by ambulance with broken arms, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, head and internal injuries.

In Hawke's Bay, police said a 45-year-old man was killed instantly after his motorcycle and a truck collided on the outskirts of Napier, just before 1pm.