Runaway Truck Hurtles Over Cliff; Driver Killed

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 1

Runaway Truck Hurtles Over Cliff; Driver Killed

The driver of a rubbish truck was killed yesterday morning after he had lost control of a truck near the top of Mondes Spur road.

The truck sped down the steep hill for half a mile, and at a speed of between 60 and 70 miles an hour crashed through a wooden barrier across the end of the road and hurtled over a cliff, crashing on top of public lavatories 100 ft below.

The driver, who owned the truck, was: Owen Alfred Osborne, aged 38, married, with three young children, of 697 Main Soutli road, Templeton.

Mr Osborne was emptying rubbish tins under contract to the Christchurch City Council.

Two men standing on the step at the back of the truck jumped off about 50 yards before the truck hurtled through the barrier and over the cliff. They suffered multiple injuries, including severe burns from skidding along the bitumen road. The injured men are Mr E. Saggers, of 227 Breezes road, and Mr P. Sumner, of 10 Cranford street.

Mr Saggers was treated by Dr. T. Kay at his surgery in Main road, Redcliffs, near the

scene of the accident. Dr. Dorothy Simpson, of Moncks Spur road, treated Mr Sumner.

Both men were taken to the Christchurch Hospital by ambulance. Mr Sumner’s condition last evening was reported to be fairly satisfactory. Mr Saggers was transferred to the Burwood Hospital, where his condition was reported to be satisfactory. The accident happened at 11.10 a.m.

Moncks Spur road is very steep near the top, with a grade of one in four. The truck had gone to the top of the road, and a few dustbins had been emptied before it ran away.

Apparently the brakes failed, because Miss A. Stanford, of Oaro, near Kaikoura. who was walking at the foot of the road, heard Mr Osborne revving the engine of the truck as it raced down the hill. Police consider that he was trying to get the truck in gear to brake it.

Cave terrace, which leads to Moncks Spur road from Main road, on the flat at Redcliffs. joins Moncks Spur road almost at a right angle. The truck passed this turning at a speed of about 60 miles an hour and went straight down Moncks Spur road to the barrier at the end. two chains past Cave terrace. The truck cleared trees growing at the foot of the cliff at the end of the road, and landed on the roof of the lavatories. It demolished the roof of the building, and broke a considerable portion of the brick walls. Mr Osborne was killed instantly. The truck was wedged between the damaged lavatories and the rocky face of the cliff at the end of the road. The aluminium refuse container, torn from the truck chassis, lay several feet from the chassis.

The photographs show the front of the truck after the accident, and the wreckage being removed.