Truck company NJ Ashton hands out free lunch after metal debris damages hundred of cars on M1 motorway

7NEWS

09-05-2025

A company has offered free lunch as compensation after metal debris shredded hundreds of cars on a busy highway.
Up to 750kg of metal shards were spilled from an NJ Ashton truck along the M1 motorway on the NSW Central Coast last Friday, stretching across 30km and puncturing hundreds of tyres.
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To make amends, the trucking company handed out free steak, sausage sizzles, coffee and drinks in Peats Ridge on the Central Coast on Friday to those affected by the motorway chaos.
Just in time for Mother's Day on Sunday, they also handed out flowers.
General manager Daniel Falconer said the company was 'extremely sorry'.
'Today we're just having a community barbecue,' he told 7NEWS.
'It's sort of a give back to the community.
'We put them under a bit of duress on Friday, so we thought we'd just give them a bit of a relaxing day.'
About 100 people turned up, many expressing gratitude.
'We really appreciate a company that takes responsibility and is so generous,' said local resident Jacquie Thompson.
'It's a good Aussie company and yeah, I've got a lot of respect for them now,' said an affected driver, Robert Cox.
Falconer said the damage will be covered by the company's insurance, with the bill potentially exceeding $1 million.
The company has kept the 46-year-old truck driver out of the media spotlight to avoid adding to his stress.
Falconer said he's doing well and is expected to return to work next week.
No injuries or crashes were reported during last Friday's incident.
An investigation into the cause is underway and could take three to four weeks to complete.