SH1 reopens after fatal truck crash

State Highway One in the Waikato has been re-opened after a fatal truck crash this morning.

The truck smashed through a barrier and caught fire at about 12.50am after veering off Hall Rd and crashing through a barrier, 16km north of Huntly.

Sergeant Juliet Burgess of the Huntly strategic traffic unit said the truck came to rest on its side in a shallow ditch, where it caught fire.

"The fire was extinguished by firefighters but several drums that spilt out of the curtain-side rear trailer required identifying to assess what if any threat they posed."

The truck's front unit was refrigerated and any hazardous material data sheets would have been kept in the front cab, further complicating efforts to tackle the fire, Ms Burgess said.

Disaster victim identification specialists were working to recover and identify the driver, while firefighters and heavy vehicle recovery staff were clearing the site.

Police serious crash and commercial vehicle units were investigating the cause of the accident.

The death has been reported to the coroner.

NZPA & NZ HERALD STAFF