Quick thinking saved lives: police

A potential three-person road fatality was averted yesterday morning after the quick thinking of a skilled 49-year-old truck driver from Australind, Bunbury police say.

An 18-year-old Australind man was taken to hospital with serious leg injuries after the Mitsubishi Magna he was driving collided with a road train carrying a 36-tonne boiler at 7.40am.

South West traffic officer in charge sergeant Gerard Murphy said the truck driver suffered minor injuries as well ``with regards to trying to steer his heavy vehicle’’ and was also suffering from shock.

A second car was almost struck by the massive rolling boiler, which gouged a trench 3m long and 60cm deep into the bitumen, but the female driver was able to put the car into reverse in time and miss the load.

``We hear the stories of truck drivers that are irresponsible and almost have a cowboy attitude on the road; in this case the experience of the truck driver and the skill of the truck driver has definitely averted a fatality,’’ Sgt Murphy told the Herald.

``It’s just lucky that the heater didn’t keep on rolling and it could have been another fatality for the two people in the car as well.

``So it could have been three deaths very easily.’’

The road remained closed until 3pm.

Both male drivers and the truck company declined to comment.