Truck Spill Leaves Commuters with Flat Tyres on Major Highway

A truck carrying 750kg of metal shards spilled debris over 30km of the busy highway, prompting an extensive clean-up operation.

Hundreds of vehicles were immobilized due to flat tyres after a truck, carrying 750kg (1,653lb) of sharp metal fragments, spilled its load across one of Australia’s crucial highways, the M1 Pacific Motorway. The incident transpired early on Friday morning and went undetected for 30 kilometers (18 miles) before authorities intervened. The aftermath saw at least 300 cars and multiple emergency vehicles suffering damage, resulting in extensive travel disruptions.

According to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, the truck spilled its load around 5 am, leading to a significant debris field. State police confirmed that the freeway, located near Ourimbah—north of Sydney—sustained necessary closures for approximately ten hours to facilitate the clean-up efforts.

The trucking company, NJ Ashton, expressed regrets over the incident and is currently collaborating on the clean-up. “We are taking full responsibility for what’s happened and are very sorry for any damage and disruption that's been caused,” they shared in an official statement. However, the company noted that the underlying causes of the spill remain uncertain.

Officials employed advanced magnetic equipment to gather the hazardous metal shards from the roadway, as the conventional method of road sweeping proved inadequate. State highway patrol commander Howard Collins emphasized, "It's not just a case of getting a road sweeper out. We are using some magnetic devices. We are removing embedded metal in the highway itself."

New South Wales state roads minister Jenny Aitchison recognized the extraordinary nature of the situation, stating, "It's like trying to hoover up the highway. It's very difficult." The clean-up remains a priority as the truck driver is cooperating with investigations into this unusual road incident.