A woman and teenager are lucky to have escaped serious injuries after the car they were in was struck by a log off a fully laden truck on State Highway 2 near Paengaroa.

The 39-year-old woman and 16-year-old girl were travelling towards the woman’s home in Pukehina about 4pm on Wednesday when a log tumbled from the truck smashing into the small Honda.

A log from a fully laden truck dislodged hitting a white Honda hatchback on State Highway 2 at Paengaroa.

The driver of the Honda was pinned in the vehicle for a short time until emergency services arrived at the scene.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says the logs came off the trailer of the truck as it travelled over railway tracks.

“The driver of the logging truck was heading along SH2 when he braked coming up to the railway tracks near the intersection at SH33.”

Four large logs came loose and rolled over the road. Ian says one of the logs ended up between the cab and the trailer of the truck, one landed on the grass verge and two bounced onto the carriageway in the opposite lane.

“The 1994 Honda car travelling in the opposite direction was hit by one of the logs and fortunately the driver and the passenger only suffered minor injuries.”

A 39-year-old Pukehina woman suffered head, chest and neck injuries, and a 16-year-old Te Puke woman sustained minor whiplash.

Both were taken to Tauranga Hospital by Te Puke St John Ambulance for treatment.

A section of the highway at SH2 was closed for a short time with traffic diverted down Maketu Road.

Ian says the commercial vehicle investigation unit attended the accident and police are still investigating the crash.