Truck Crash near Taihape

Taihape Police are attending a crash 30 km from Taihape on the road to Napier.

At about 8 a.m. today a truck driver noticed marks on the road about 1 km downstream from the Springvale Bridge 30m above the Moawhango River and advised police that he could see a truck submerged in the river.

Last night a truck driver was reported missing by his wife when he failed to return home to Taihape.  He was returning from the Hawke’s bay area and telephone calls by his wife and radio calls by the missing man’s employer were unanswered.

Police can confirm that the truck in the river is one belonging to Farmer’s Transport, Feilding and that it has a trailer attached.  This tallies with the description of the truck the missing man was driving.

The river is swollen and flowing fast due to heavy rain in the area and a search of the scene has failed to find any traces of the missing driver, a 47 year old man from Taihape.

The police dive squad from Wellington and salvage operators are on the way to the scene to attempt to recover the truck and assist with the search for the missing man.

His name has not been released yet.