Truck blown off Mt Hutt road

Press, 30 May 1987, Page 1

Truck blown off Mt Hutt road

By

NEIL CLARKSON

A drainlayer scrambled from his overturned utility truck moments before a wind gust blew it from the Mount Hutt skifield road on Wednesday. Mr Richard Begbie, of Ashburton, suffered back injuries but was in a satisfactory condition in Ashburton Hospital last evening.

The accident occurred about 1.20 p.m. as Mr Begbie was driving the truck down the skifield road.

“It was hit by a freak gust which rolled the truck against our safety fence,” said the gen-

eral manager of the Mount Hutt Ski and Alpine Tourist Company, Mr Mike Adamson.

“The driver managed to get out and then another gust blew the truck over the bank.”

Mr Begbie, who was doing contract work for the ski-field, was picked up by staff following in other vehicles only minutes behind.

Mr Adamson said staff had not yet checked how far the truck fell, but it would probably have been some distance.

Staff went up to the ski-field yesterday but did not stop to see

where the truck came to rest, he said. “It was blowing quite hard.” Mr Adamson reckoned a wind of at least 100 knots would have been needed to blow the truck off the road. “It is unfortunate we had the problem. We had contractors driving up and down the road all day."

Mr Adamson said the ski-field was ready to open as soon as there was enough snow. About 12cm fell on Thursday night but strong winds had since thawed most of it.