A driver received only minor injuries but was trapped in his truck when power lines fell across it after the vehicle left State Highway 1, north of Waimate, early today.
The man had to remain in the cab for about 15 minutes, to avoid the risk of elecrocution, until local power authority Alpine Energy isolated the power, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said.
The driver was then able to leave the truck safely.
Waimate Volunteer Fire Brigade firefighters were alerted to the crash, at the intersection of Hook Swamp Rd, Makikihi, at 7.16am, and helped with traffic control, the spokesman said.
Full details could not be immediately confirmed, but it is understood that the truck may have hit a power pole.
The highway was briefly closed, then opened to one lane before being fully reopened after the crash, the spokesman said.
