Driver’s lucky escape
A car was extensively damaged in a multi-car pile up on the Appleby Highway, near Nelson.
Cory Rusbatch sent in photos of his car he said was hit by a truck in the accident on Thursday.
No one was injured in the crash after a truck ploughed into a lane of slowed traffic.
Rusbatch was travelling alone in his car, heading back to his home town of Motueka.
He said he was ‘‘fine’’ after the accident, escaping with a bruise ‘‘here and there’’ and ‘‘a bit of a stiff neck’’.
‘‘Pretty much what you’d expect when you get hit like that.’’
Rusbatch’s car bore the brunt of the impact.
He said he was aware of what was happening ahead before he was suddenly thrown back.
‘‘With the force of the impact, the seat collapsed backwards. I was pretty much laying looking up at the roof.
‘‘My first thought was, I’m still here, I’m alive, I’m not trapped, so I got out just went to see if everyone else was ok.
‘‘Everyone walked away from it so it couldn’t be a better result.’’
Nelson Bays Police Senior Sergeant Blair Hall said three cars had slowed for a turning truck at the Swamp Rd intersection but another truck travelling behind had failed to see this.
A driver in front of the truck saw the vehicle approaching at speed and took evasive action, pulling into a ditch and avoiding ‘‘probable serious injury’’ to his family that were with him.
‘‘The heavy motor vehicle has then collided with the next vehicle in the queue, causing extensive damage,’’ Hall said,
That vehicle also hit the next car, which was at the front of the queue.