Furniture van overturns on SH4

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 21, 25 October 1983, Page 1

Furniture van overturns on SH4

State Highway 4 between Horopito and Potaka was closed temporarily on Sunday 1 6 October while one of ATG's heavy recovery vehicles from Waiouru hauled an overturned furniture van back onto its wheels. The Furnpak van, containing two ho.usehold lots, had been travelling north between Sanson and Auckland the evening before in gusty wind conditions. The driver lost control when the vehicle started to 'fishtail'and it fell over on its side at the edge of the road. As it was not blocking traffic on the highway it was decided to leave it overnight until the army's recovery vehicle was available. Neither the driver nor his mate, both from Auckland, were injured ... local traffic officer Graeme Cole arranged for them to stay at the Ohakune Hotel overnight. On Sunday the household effects were removed from the van and placed on the roadside while the army's recovery vehicle (left of picture) winched the van onto its wheels. This

operation took less than a minute. The van was only slightly damaged. During the night, when the van had been lying on it's side, thieves had broken in and stolen some property. From the driver's cab they

took a stereo cassette tape deck and about 30 tapes after breaking a window. From the back of the van they took a double mattress and 3 or 4 boxes of personal effects after forcing the lock.