Police name US citizen who died after being crushed by truck in Closeburn, Queenstown

Emergency services attend the scene of the accident yesterday. Photo / James Allan

A man who died after he was pinned between a truck and a wall while working on a septic tank was an American citizen.

Police have released Phillip Anderson Loving's name.

The 63-year-old, who they said was from the US and the Queenstown area, died yesterday afternoon while working on a septic tank at Closeburn Station.

Another man, aged 19, was flown to Dunedin Hospital with critical injuries remains in a stable condition.

Police said their thoughts were with Loving's family, friends and colleagues.

WorkSafe had been notified.

Queenstown photographer James Allan was at the scene yesterday.

He said two people had been crushed by a sewage truck. He said one was trapped for two-and-a-half hours.

"The truck was going in there to do something and it has rolled back into a structure of some sort. One person is killed and one person was trapped at the waist."

Allan believed the two men were workers and the owner of the company was at the scene looking "pretty cut up" about what had happened.

The Herald believes the truck is owned by waste management company S J Allen. Owner Simon Spark said he was not prepared to comment at this stage.

"We're still in shock and grief."

Allan said Kiwi businessman Graeme Hart had a multi-million dollar property about 300m from the accident and it was quite an affluent street.

There is a scene guard in place.