Truck collision with Adelaide tram causes chaos
A Glenelg-bound tram was almost derailed when it collided with a truck in the city outside the Town Hall this morning.
As the half-full tram headed south along King William St about 7.40am this morning, a Jeffries compost truck smashed into its windscreen as the truck swung around to reverse into the driveway of the Town Hall.
The windscreen of the tram was smashed and the truck came to rest about 7m along the tram. Damage to the tram is estimated at $40,000.
The female driver of the tram was treated at the scene by paramedics for minor injuries.
Passenger Peter Tziavaras was seated about two metres behind the driver and the truck scraped past his head.
“It was a pretty big hit, it was a very big hit. The whole tram went to the right very, very suddenly then flicked back in,” Mr Tziavaras said.
Fellow passenger Ruth Bear said there was a “tremendous sound of glass”.
“I thought it was going to tip over,” she said.
“The whole tram shook, it was quite scary, everyone (on the tram) was scared, but it was nothing like what the driver went through.”
Andrew Laird, who was also on the tram, said the “truck just came out of nowhere”.
“There was a big bang and a shudder and it actually felt like the tram was lifting off the tracks,” he said.
Mr Laird said two off-duty police officers helped get passengers off the tram.
Shane McDonald, who was driving the truck, said he was reversing into the driveway off King William St.
” When I checked my mirrors there was no one around, then the tram sounded its horn and there was a collision,” he said.
“It was my first accident in driving trucks in seven years and hopefully it will be the last.”
