Truckie sends open apology for closing bridge

Letter in the Cambridge Edition from M Robertson the milk tanker driver apologising for breaking a bridge in Cambridge. Photo / Supplied

A truckie who damaged a Waikato bridge forcing its closure while it was repaired has apologised for his error in a local newspaper.

The police have commended his honesty and thanked him publicly for his apology.

Cambridge police posted a photograph of a letter to the editor published in local newspaper from M Robertson "the milk tanker driver".

"To the community of Cambridge, I am writing to apologise for my actions which caused the closure of your bridge in late October 2015," he wrote in the letter to the editor in the latest Cambridge Edition.

"This letter is not to excuse my actions, however, I would like to offer an explanation."

Mr Robertson said he was passing through Cambridge for the first time when the incident occurred.

"I was working in the North Island for the milk season. I did not know the road or the area at all and relied heavily on my GPS," he said.

"When I found myself being diverted by road workers off my intended route, I was relying on my GPS to get me there. As I was distracted by the diversion, I did not see the weight restriction signs. It was only once I was on the bridge that I realised that I was overweight."

He said there was no way he could reverse once he realised his error.

"It ... left me the only option to continue," he said.

"I am so very sorry for any inconvenience I caused you."

Police applauded Mr Robertson for his letter.

"We just wanted to acknowledge the courage of the driver for writing this letter. Yes, he was in the wrong at the time, but it takes a lot of courage to put pen to paper like this in a public forum and apologise," a police spokesperson wrote on Facebook.

"The bridge is fixed. Life goes on. All the best to that driver in the future. Good on ya, mate."