Truck and header bogged at Taroom

A TRUCK carrying a header had to be pulled out after becoming bogged near Taroom late last week.

Taroom Sergeant Bill Brennan said a truck carrying a $700,000 Case grain harvester became bogged and was in danger of rolling over when two wide loads met each other on a narrow bit of the Leichhardt Highway 15km south of Taroom at 2.30pm on Thursday (September 23).

He said the driver of the truck carrying the header moved completely off the road to make way for a larger wide load travelling in the opposite direction.

Police, Banana Shire Council and local people assisted in the recovery of the header, with a council grader and end loader pulling out the truck in an hour.

“The drivers of heavy vehicles are reminded that in the current wet road conditions, the shoulders of the road are soft and adequate care needs to be taken to avoid similar incidents in the future,” Sergeant Bill Brennan

“Do not leave the bitumen completely.

“Use CB radio to talk to wide load escorts.

“The bigger wide loads are more manoeuvrable than sometimes given credit for,” he said.

Taroom has had 160mm during September with 43mm two weekends ago.