A former Special Rigs for Special Kids participant has gone from the passenger seat to documenting the annual event.
"It is an awesome event, and that is why I wanted to give something back this year," Toni Summers told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
The Aoraki Polytechnic digital photography student was working on a photographic essay of the children and the trucks involved in the annual event.
The 20-year-old said when she was younger she recalled the fun of riding in a bright red truck, and loved photographing the reaction of the children yesterday.
While her essay was part of her final year of the two-year course, she planned to give the photos to Greg Inch, who organised the event which was now in its 20th year.
Her father and photographic assistant yesterday, Bruce Summers, said the event brought a "tear to my eye watching all the children's faces".
Born with no thumbs, no forearms, and kidneys on the same side, his daughter was given just five years to live but had proved the experts wrong.
"She sees the thing from both sides, and I am very proud of her."
Mr Inch said it was great to have Miss Summers document the event, which attracted 254 trucks, more than 300 children, and thousands of spectators.
"The amount of people in Mosgiel and Fairfield was phenomenal," he said.
The convoy began and finished at Forsyth Barr Stadium, where participants were entertained by a band and kapa haka group performance.
He said it was the first time in the event's history a crash had been reported.
Dunedin Police senior sergeant Kelvin Lloyd said two buses, a car and 15 people were involved in the accident on Portsmouth Dr shortly after 11am, but no-one was injured.
The Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit was investigating the crash, he said.
