The trailer of a fully laden stock truck has crashed into the Karangahake River, killing and injuring cows, and creating a headache for rescue workers.
Shortly after 9am, the trailer detached from its truck, crashing over a cliff and into the river.
Around 17 cows were inside, ending their fall in a pile at the bottom end of the trailer. It's unclear how many cows survived.
The scene forced the notorious stretch of road closed for most of the day, as emergency workers and vets were tasked with rounding up survivors.
"There were cows swimming around in the water that had fallen out of the truck there were cows trapped inside," witness Sharon Roycroft told 1 NEWS.
"Unfortunately they've been euthanized the ones that were [trapped]... obviously some of them drowned. It's really just a mangled mess.
"I really feel for the people out there, the firefighters, the tow trucks, the police.
"They've done an amazing job and they've made this whole process a lot easier for everyone."
The driver of the truck was uninjured.
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