M1 scrap metal damage bill rises as drivers claim tyre repairs
The traffic jam on the M1 on the NSW Central Coast was caused by hundreds of cars getting flat tyres due to metal shards.
In short:
The transport company at the centre of a scrap metal spill on the M1 motorway has been flooded with calls and emails from people making claims for tyre damage.
NJ Ashton general manager Daniel Falconer expects the damage bill to climb into the millions of dollars.
What's next?
An investigation into the spill is expected to take up to four weeks.
More than 1,000 drivers have come forward reporting tyre damage after shards of scrap metal spilt from a truck over the southbound lanes of the M1 motorway on the NSW Central Coast.
Daniel Falconer, general manager of NJ Ashton, the transport company responsible for the spill on Friday said the business had been flooded with claims.
"We've had 700 [to] 800 emails and maybe 500 phone calls [from people reporting tyre damage],"Mr Falconer said.
"We've just had guys on the job over and over again, just fixing people, making sure that everything's OK, going through insurance."
The metal shards stretched 30 kilometres from Ourimbah to Mount White. (Supplied: Live Traffic NSW)
He believes some drivers have tried to take advantage of the situation by lodging false claims.
"We're getting a few dodgies here and there, people who were travelling the other way and all that sort of stuff, so we've got to sift through them," he said.
"I'd say 80 to 85 per cent of the claims are 100 per cent … they've got tyre damage, they've paid the bill and they need to know what's going on."
Mr Falconer said he was expecting the insurance bill to pass $1 million.
"We're thinking in the millions [of dollars] but I couldn't tell you exactly," he said.
He was confident the business's insurer would cover all costs.
"We've had massive conversations with our insurer. They're unreal and they're right behind us."
Drivers are advised to have their tyres checked if they travelled south on the M1 motorway before 6am on Friday. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)
Truck driver off the road
It's unclear whether the truck driver involved will face any penalties.
He was travelling south from the Central Coast to Horsley Park in western Sydney when the incident happened.
Loading...Mr Falconer said he had the full support of the business.
"The driver himself, he's devastated,"he said.
"His truck has been parked since the accident … an investigation could take three to four weeks.
"[He] will probably get a fine but it will have to go to court."
NSW Police are investigating the incident.
New tyres in demand
Courtney Nipsalla from Goodyear Autocare Gosford said tow trucks carrying cars with flat tyres were lined up outside the workshop before it opened on Friday morning.
Courtney Nipsalla says tow trucks were lining up outside the store on Friday. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)
"We were just inundated straight away," he said.
"It wasn't a case of phone calls, people were just turning up and leaving themselves in our hands to help.
"Tow trucks were in the driveway and people were standing at the front door waiting for us.
Mr Nipsalla has removed metal shards like this from hundreds of tyres. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)
"We scrambled … we got tyres on delivery runs from Sydney and we ploughed through the work as best we could."
Mr Nipsalla said, in the days that had followed, the majority of jobs had involved cars that were driven through the spill.
"We've had plenty of people that turn up and put the car on the hoist, just to do an inspection and put their mind at ease.
"We just did four tyres and a wheel alignment on a vehicle that had all tyres damaged on it."
Most tyres had multiple punctures from metal shards. (ABC Central Coast: Sarah Forster)
Damage could take weeks to notice
Mr Nipsalla warned that there could still be drivers with metal shards in their tyres that could cause problems in the future.
"I do fear that maybe over the next few weeks something will be trapped in people's tyres," he said.
"Two to three weeks down the track you might still have people who are turning up with punctured tyres."
He said any driver unsure about their tyres should seek advice.
"It takes five minutes, you pop it up and you have a look and if you do find a shard of metal in there, you can get that out before it wriggles its way into the tyre and causes a puncture."