Spectators leaving Top of the South Speedway on Saturday night were lucky if they escaped a clatter of Z nails all over the road.
The trail of nails left dozens of cars on the side of the road in the dark, attempting to change flat tyres after nails were spread across the road along Lansdowne Rd, Lower Queen St and the Appleby Highway.
A police spokesperson says they were made aware of the issue as people were leaving Speedway on Saturday evening.
“Police were made aware of nails on Lansdowne Road at approximately 9.50pm, Saturday. There were reports of vehicles with punctures.”
A Tasman District Council spokesperson says it looks as though a “cheery soul” decided to throw Z nails all over the road.
They didn’t know how many vehicles had been affected but sent a clean-up crew on Saturday night.
“While every effort was taken to get as many as possible there could still be some around. People should be aware that some could still be there in the roadside.”
Aniseed Valley resident Cherie Halsey received “At least three punctures” in her tyre while driving along the Appleby Highway.
She hadn’t attended the annual Fireworks Extravaganza racing meet, but had instead been looking after some animals on nearby Ridgeview Rd.
“I was heading home along the Appleby Highway about 9.45 and heard a pop noise and stuff hitting the undercarriage of my car. There was nowhere to pull over so where I could, there were another two cars pulled over too.”
Her hybrid car came with a gel puncture repair instead of a spare tyre so she called AA.
“They told me not to use it, and came and towed me home.”
Being on a benefit, Cherie says she was having to decide between food or a new tyre this week, when a local church member kindly offered to cover the cost of her replacement wheel.
Cherie rang the police when she realised what was going on, with cars driving past her not yet realising their tyres were also flat.
“I’m really angry about it, whoever it was had no consideration for those who are already pushed to limit with the cost of living.
“The fact that the highway is 80kmh, if the tyre had completely blown that would’ve been a huge accident.”
Adie Drake of Express Lube WOF & Tyres has raced sidecars at Speedway for 20 years and was attending the fireworks display with his son.
He noticed a couple of cars pulled over with their hazards on his drive home but didn’t think anything of it.
“They had their hazards on and were on the phone and I thought they’re sorted.
“But then I got up yesterday (Sunday) and there’s all this about Z nails and spikes I thought we’ll open for a couple of hours if someone’s desperate and needs to get sorted.”
Adie opened the store from 10am-12pm on Sunday, and while only one person needed his help, the gesture was well received.
Cherie labelled the incident as extremely dangerous, costing a lot of people a lot of money.
