Minor injuries for truck driver forced into 'Superman' dive

A truck driver who was thrown 15m from his vehicle into a shallow river has escaped with broken wrists.

Gavin Mackie, 26, was sitting on the bank of the Shotover River when emergency services arrived yesterday.

Police said he was lucky not to have been seriously injured or killed.

Mr Mackie was on a bridge over the river when his truck was struck by a trailer that had come loose from an oncoming vehicle.

Acting Sergeant Simon Dillon, of Queenstown, said Mr Mackie's door was sheared off as the truck collided with the guard-rail on the opposite side of the road.

He fell out of the truck, over the barrier and into the river, which was less than 1m deep.

"It's unbelievable - he Superman-ed off the bridge," Mr Dillon said.

"It's a good one to tell your mates."

The crash happened at 7.40am on State Highway 6 near Frankton as Mr Mackie was driving towards Queenstown.

Senior Sergeant John Fookes, of Queenstown, said the trailer had come loose from an oncoming 4WD.

The driver of the 4WD, a 45-year-old Queenstown man, was not injured.

The two passengers of the scaffolding truck suffered minor cuts and abrasions.

They were treated and discharged from Lakes District Hospital yesterday.

Mr Mackie suffered minor head injuries, plus the broken wrists. He was transferred by ambulance to Southland Hospital where he was in a stable condition late yesterday afternoon.

The scene has been examined by Queenstown police and specialist traffic crash investigators from Dunedin. Mr Dillon said it was not yet known whether charges would be laid.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES