Motorway truck crash driver fails to appear in court

A man charged with dangerous driving following a dramatic crash on the Auckland motorway earlier this year has failed to appear before the Auckland District Court today.

Brendon Greig, 47, was driving a truck which crashed through a barrier on the Southern Motorway on January 18.

The truck plunged at least 15 metres before coming to rest on the highway below.

As it crashed it spilt diesel and a load of powdered fertiliser near Auckland's Spaghetti Junction.

Mr Greig's lawyer, Wayne Dollimore, said his client was running late today and had intended to appear.

The 47-year-old man was remanded without plea to reappear before on March 24.

Following the accident, Mr Greig said he was relieved to be alive and that "airbags played a big part" in how he escaped without serious injuries.

He said he was still trying to piece together what happened. "I don't know a lot myself now," he said at the time.