Man dies in freak accident

A young father was killed in a freak accident when his two-tonne truck rolled and pinned him to a wall on Friday.

Stuart Johnston, 36, was found dead in the yard of timber merchants Timbertown in East Tamaki, Auckland, about 3.25pm.

The Department of Labour is investigating but Johnston is thought to have climbed out of the vehicle without applying the handbrake, allowing it to roll and pin his head against a wall.

His wife Nicolette was too distressed to talk last night, but Johnston's father-in-law Brian Dalley described the self-employed landscaper as a "devoted family man".

Nicolette has two children from a previous relationship and the couple had had their first baby together, a girl called Kiralee, on December 11.

Owner of the timber merchants, Peter Corlette, said Johnston had been a regular customer for three months.

On Friday he had stopped at the yard to collect some trellis.

"He was going to put the handbrake on, he was half-way out of the truck when it rolled back.

"He has a young family, all of the staff that were there at the time are devastated."

Staff tried to revive Johnston while they waited for an ambulance.

Corlett said the company had passed on their condolences to his family.

Police stayed at the scene until the evening to interview Timbertown staff and other witnesses.