Road blocked
The New England Highway has been cleared after an earlier accident where a crane toppled over.
Traffic was blocked about 6pm to right the crane, and tow it from the scene.
Crane that tipped over at Armidale is righted, stopping traffic near the airport @The_NDL@ArmidaleExpresspic.twitter.com/Fn9QWk9Qu7
— Juanita Greville (@JuanitaGreville) February 15, 2017
Salvage effort underway
We understand the crane has been lifted upright and has temporarily blocked New England Highway near Armidale Regional Airport.
Crane crash
A crane from a Walcha-based company has lost control in the wet and knocked over a roadside sign next to the New England Highway.
One man who was in the crane was taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs while another man was uninjured.
One fireman said they had a very lucky escape.
The accident happened on the highway near Armidale Regional Airport where the crane jack-knifed and slipped onto its roof.
An RMS inspector was at the scene, as well as tow truck and a low-bed truck for the recovery operation.
Fire crews attended, although one of the two fire trucks has since left the scene.
It has attracted plenty of interest from passing motorists, as traffic has slowed down near the accident scene.
The speed limit has been restricted to 40km/h, but the highway has remained open.