Hero Nomination For Drivers Actions

MEDIACOM-RELEASE-BEAUREPAIRES

DRIVERS ACTION AVOIDS FATALITIES AND EARNS HERO NOMINATION

Driving his truck and trailer rig off the road to avoid a possible fatal accident has earned Hawera-based Kiwi Freight driver Warren Bradshaw a nomination as a Beaurepaires Highway Hero for 2000.

Warren, who has had 12 years' experience behind the wheel, the last four with Kiwi Freight, had been driving his Mitsubishi A-train semi trailer and loaded two axle milk tanker trailer south on State Highway Three near Mahoenui north of the Awakino Gorge.

He drove around a blind left hand corner to find a car on his side of the road on a short straight overtaking another truck and trailer unit. Clearly the road wasn't wide enough for all three and Warren swung his rig off the road and along the bank in an attempt to create enough space for the overtaking vehicle.

It was a tight squeeze and the overtaking vehicle ricocheted between the trucks, wiping off the step of the tanker before cannoning into the passenger side of a ute following the milk tanker. Eventually the vehicle ended up in the water table on the wrong side of the road. Both the driver and his passenger escaped without injury.

The truck sustained moderate damage from the impact with the bank but the trailer rolled, spilling 9000 litres of milk onto the highway.

Constable Connors of the PioPio Police said that if it had not been for the actions of Mr Bradshaw, in which he placed his own safety in serious jeopardy the crash would almost certainly have ended in a double fatality.

The driver has since been convicted of dangerous driving and penalised.

The Police initiated and Beaurepaires Highways Heroes programme to recognise humanitarian, brave or heroic deeds by professional truck, bus or coach drivers in the course of their work for the benefit of other road users. A winner is selected each year by a panel of judges. The winner receives a $5000 award plus a trophy. The person nominating the winner receives a set of new Dunlop passenger car tyres. Anyone can nominate a Beaurepaires Highway Hero, with forms available at Police Stations or Beaurepaires stores or by emailing highway.heroesxtra.co.nz.

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