Load slip flips truck

A TRUCK driver had a lucky escape at dawn yesterday when his truck rolled near Castlemaine.Sergeant Nicky Goodison said the 32-year-old driver from Vaughan could have been killed in the accident.“He would have had a very, very scary ride because the cabin was completely crushed,’’ she said.“It was a very lucky escape.’’Sergeant Goodison said the truck rolled about 5.45am on the Pyrenees Highway three kilometres south-east of Golden Point Road.Fully laden with spools of carpet wool, the truck left the highway littered with rubbish when plastic holding the load burst on impact.“They have come off the pallets and gone everywhere, so that’s taken hours for people to load into bins,’’ Sergeant Goodison said.She said the highway was closed for more than six hours, with more than 20 emergency officers working to clear the area.“I’m not prepared to have the general public driving through a scene like that on a narrow road.’’The highway was re-opened at 1.30pm after diesel spilled by the truck was cleared up.Sergeant Goodison said investigations into the cause of the accident were continuing, but said early indications pointed to the load shifting.The driver was taken to Castlemaine hospital suffering minor head and leg injuries and was then released.“It was a good result for what could have been a far more serious accident,’’ Sergeant Goodison said.“It certainly could have been fatal.’’