Inspections reveal defects in trucks at company whose vehicle blocked tunnel for hours

The company responsible for a truck which rolled over, blocking a Sydney tunnel for 12 hours has been put on notice by police and the Roads and Maritime Authority. 

Police ordered all 17 of trucks belonging to Windsor-based Terjon Services, be presented at the Weatherill Park RMS inspection station.

Defects were identified in six of them.

The crash, at the entrance to the M5 tunnel, caused lengthy delays for commuters and drivers heading to the airport on Friday morning.

Roger Weeks, Roads and Maritime Services Director of Compliance, said he found various issues with the trucks.

“We’re not off to a good start,” he said.

“The few units we’ve already inspected, every one of them has been issued with a defect notice, that ranges from things like faulty brakes, engine oil leaks and hydraulic leaks.”

The roll-over that happened on Friday at 1am is still under investigation.

A substance suspected to be ice, which was found in a bag in the cabin of the truck following the crash, is also still being examined. 

The driver of the truck, Brett Harding, 34, who managed to crawl out of his cab, was not at the inspections this morning. 

He had started work at 5pm and was carting recycled rubbish between Smithfield and St Peters.

Authorities had to bring in a bobcat and excavator to help clear the tonnes of rubbish from the truck’s trailer before it could be righted.

Engineers were also called in to inspect damage to the M5 tunnel.

The company has now been given 24 hours to fix the problems. 

The RMS says if it continues to find issues with the fleet, it could decide to take court action which could result in significant fines.

The truck company declined to speak to 9News following the crash.