Auckland’s Mt Wellington Highway is closed after a crash brought down powerlines this afternoon.
A Sylvia Park Motel employee rushed outside after hearing a “big, loud band” from the road.
“When I came out I saw a truck had hit one of the electric poles. It’s completely shattered,” he told the Herald.
“There was smoke, not a fire smoke, but, like, very dusty smoke everywhere.
“It’s such a big mess, there’s debris everywhere. The powerlines are on the road,” he said.
The man said the motel had no electricity and a team from lines company Vector was at the scene.
Another witness told the Herald: “The truck was driving too close to the left side of the road and hit the pole”.
“I spoke with the driver to make sure he was safe, both occupants are safe. That’s what matters most. Apparently, the power will be out till around about midnight.”
Auckland Transport alerted the closure between Te Horeta and Waipuna Rds about 1.10pm.
Two bus routes, 323 and 743, are also detouring the area. Seven stops on the highway will be skipped, AT said.
“Follow the directions of emergency services in the area and expect delays,” AT said.
Police said a truck crashed into the pole about 1pm. No injuries were reported.
“Contractors will be deployed to the area, however delays should be expected near where the incident occurred,” police said.
“Some signalled intersections have been affected by the incident.”
Police said motorists should follow the road rules when going through an intersection where traffic lights have lost power.
More to come
It comes as Winston Peters has yet to back up claims he's made about Dr Ayesha Verrall.