Man remains in critical condition after quarry accident

File photo / NZ Herald

A man remains critically ill in hospital after suffering severe head injuries in an accident in a Tauranga quarry yesterday morning.

The 69-year-old was found unconscious next to a jack-knifed trailer near a steep bank in the quarry in Welcome Bay, near Kaitemako Rd, about 9am.

Senior Sergeant Ian Campion, of the police serious crash unit, said it was yet to be established how the accident happened.

"There are some ideas around it, but until we've got a better handle on it I'm not prepared to say."

Yesterday, Sergeant Rob Glencross told NZPA no one witnessed the incident so police would have to reconstruct events to ascertain what happened.

"There's a possibility that he's lost control of the truck, it's run into a bank and as a result he's been thrown from it. There's a possibility that he's fallen from the truck and hit his head.

"There's also some suggestion that the clutch may have burnt out and the truck's then lost control... there's any number of possibilities."

The man worked for a contracting company doing work at the quarry.

He remains in a critical condition in Tauranga Hospital's intensive care unit.

The Department of Labour was at the scene yesterday but is not investigating further.

- NZPA