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The scene of the tractor crash near New Plymouth - Source: Fairfax
A man escaped serious injury when his tractor plunged down a hillside with a heavily laden trailer in tow.
The tractor was towing a trailer, with what appeared to be a vintage tractor on top, on Dorset Rd near New Plymouth yesterday, police constable Lee Rose said.
While going down a steep hill, the weight of the load appeared to accelerate the tractor out of control, with the vehicle veering off the road and down a five-metre bank.
The trailer was left twisted, but the tractor was upright after the accident.
The driver was able to walk away from the crash with moderate injuries.
"Basically, I think he had a too heavy load," Rose said. "It looks like it has just pushed him."
Matthew Reeve, 16, and his brother, Daniel, 18, arrived at the crash site minutes after the accident.
"We saw the thing coming down, so we came down in a bit of a hurry," Matthew Reeve said.
"From the skid marks, you can see it lost control.
"I think he was pretty lucky.
"We were expecting a bit worse than what he was," he said.
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