A major accident was averted after two truck-and-trailer units seemed headed for a head-on crash at the Mosgiel interchange this week.
A northbound truck with two trailers was near the Mosgiel interchange on Tuesday afternoon when the Palmerston North-based driver approached orange bollards separating the north and southbound traffic.
Sergeant Andrew Savage, of the Police Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit, Dunedin said ''for some reason when [the driver] saw these orange bollards - and did not notice the no-pass lines - he thought the road split into two''.
''What he thought was actually the right-hand lane was actually the southbound lane leading up to the motorway.''
At the same time as the driver crossed into the southbound lane, a southbound truck and trailer unit approached the blind bend from the opposite direction.
The southbound driver ''obviously had his wits together'' and managed to veer his truck away from harm, with just the rear of his trailer being clipped.
''There was not a huge amount of damage, but a very close call,'' Sgt Savage said.
The northbound driver, who had braked heavily and knocked over some bollards as he changed lane, did not stop at the scene and was spoken to when he reached Dunedin.
The bollards had been installed as a result of a previous truck crash at the interchange, and police would be providing details of the incident to the New Zealand Transport Agency. Inquiries into the crash were continuing.
