'Freak' accident kills truck driver

Police have described an incident in which a truck driver was killed by a swinging mirror as a 'freak accident.' Photo / Martin Sykes

A truck driver has died following a freak accident in which a large piece of timber hit his wing mirror, causing it to swing around and strike him in the head.

His quick-thinking passenger grabbed the wheel to steer the truck to safety when the accident happened on State Highway 1 at Pukerua Bay, north of Wellington, about 6.50am today.

The driver, a 36-year-old man from Paraparaumu, was airlifted to Wellington Hospital in a critical condition by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. However, he died from his injuries later in the morning.

His name has not yet been released.

It was a "really freak accident", said Sergeant Martin Tunley of Porirua police.

The 50km/h section of road was narrower than normal because of road works.

The 3m long, 100mm by 50mm piece of dressed timber had hit the south-bound truck's sizeable wing mirror, causing it to swing round at speed and strike the driver in the head.

The female passenger was uninjured.

Police are appealing for information about a white Nissan single cab ute, seen beforehand driving in Pukerua Bay and then heading north on SH1 with a length of timber protruding over the driver's cab on a strange angle.

They would also like to talk to anyone who witnessed the accident or who was travelling on SH1 around the time.

- NZPA