Bitumen spilt in truck crash

A truck carrying bitumen which rolled, in addition to a three-vehicle collision, kept emergency services busy in Southland yesterday.

Diggers spent the morning cleaning up the material on State Highway 6 after the truck crashed.

Police confirmed emergency services and contractors were called to the single-vehicle crash, between Winton and Lorneville, about 6am.

A Fulton Hogan tanker had been moved to one side of the road while a tank, which became dislodged from it, lay in the middle of one lane and had steam coming off it.

Bitumen was scattered across parts of the road and a digger was using sand to cover the spill.

The highway was closed between Dejoux Rd and Gap Rd West while a towing service helped to move the vehicle and the bitumen was cleared off the road.

Fulton Hogan was approached for comment but was unable to respond before the Otago Daily Times went to print.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency confirmed the road was reopened at noon.

Further south on State Highway 6, police and St John personnel were out out in force following a three-vehicle crash in Invercargill about 8.45am.

The collision occurred in North Rd, Waikiwi, and blocked the main thoroughfare into Invercargill.

A police spokeswoman said while it was not clear how many people had been injured in the crash, minor injuries were reported.

Diversions were put in place at McIvor Rd and the vehicles involved in the crash were towed away just after 9am.

The road was cleared and reopened by about 10.30am.