New Zealand truck driver in eight-vehicle crash in Sydney, six people sent to hospital

A Kiwi truck driver has been caught up in an eight-vehicle pile-up in the Sydney suburb of Five Dock that injured six people.

According to 7News, the diesel tanker driven by Kiwi-born Hamish Middleton smashed through the intersection of Parramatta and Great Northern Rds during peak hour traffic on Friday afternoon.

A NSW Police statement said the truck continued through the intersection, mounting the kerb before continuing eastbound while a Holden Captiva struck a Nissan X-Trail stopped in the westbound lanes.

“The 47-year-old female driver of a Mazda 3 and her 56-year-old male passenger, the 33-year-old female driver of an MG, the 62-year-old male driver of a Holden Captiva, the 56-year-old male driver of a Toyota Corolla and his 57-year-old female male passenger were all treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for their injuries and taken to various hospitals.”

“The 27-year-old female driver of a VW Jetta, the 54-year-old female driver of a Hyundai, the 23-year-old female driver of a Mazda 6 and the 23-year-old female driver of a Nissan X-trail, were uninjured.”

Two people involved in the crash were initially trapped inside their vehicle.

An eye-witness at the scene told 7 News they had never seen anything like it.

“He just went straight through seven cars and he just kept going, it was horrifying.”

Emergency services responded at 4.30pm and video showed groups of people treating victims at the scene and propping up cars to help people inside and move the vehicles to safety.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash, and are considering a potential mechanical failure.

Middleton, 53, escaped without injury and returned a negative breath test at the scene, and was later released without charge.

He has been driving trucks in Australia for decades and is originally from New Zealand.