A truck driver has admitted to falling asleep at the wheel before losing control of his vehicle and spilling several tonnes of glue, closing part of SH39 this morning.
Waikato Road Policing Manager, Inspector Leo Tooman said the driver, who had been hauling a load from New Plymouth
to Auckland when the accident happened near Ngahinapouri, west of Hamilton, told police he had fallen asleep at the wheel about 5.30am.
The driver escaped injury with just a scratch to his leg.
The road is expected to be closed until about mid-afternoon but diversions are in place.
"What we've had is a B-train roll over and spill it's cargo of dangerous good all over the road," said Mr Tooman.
"The load was predominantly glue, some of it in drums but the majority of it in packaged boxes, some of which is leaking which is going to have to been off loaded by hand before the vehicle can be salvaged and the road reopened."
Labour contractors have been brought in to assist with the clean up while Environment Waikato staff are working to minimise any risk of seepage into waterways.
"This crash is a timely reminder to both drivers and transport operators of the importance of rest periods. The body will only take so much and as in the case here with the driver at the wheel all night, the body will eventually shut down."
The Waikato based Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit is investigating the crash.
