Ashleigh McCaull, Journalist
A witness has recalled the shocking moment where he stopped the vehicle that ran over a woman in her 60’s from driving away in Wellington.
The woman was left in a critical condition after she was struck by a car while crossing the road on Courtenay Place in Central Wellington.
Emergency services were told of the crash involving a vehicle and pedestrian at 8:25pm on Monday.
Both ends of Courtenay Place closed last night and re-opened in the early hours if this morning.
Robert Morrison was walking down Courtaney Place with his bike when he heard a loud bang.
“It was quite shocking, I saw this lady on the ground unconscious…then I saw a little bit down the road a car, he was trying to get away, smashed windscreen and everything. So I just got up, filled with adrenaline and just ran to the car, forced the door open, got into the car and forced it straight into park. I made him get out of the car, told him get out, stay there, wait for the cops” Morrison said.
He ran to bars, restaurants and even buses in the area to find a defibrillator for the woman.
He said the driver of the car appeared to have been drinking.
“He was kind of speechless but when he was trying to get away, he kept saying I’m trying to find a park, it was quite far from where the collision happened to where he was to be finding a park,” Morrison said.
He praised the community for getting involved and acting immediately.
“Everyone was working together to try and help people around, also a lot of people were trying to get in with their phones and a lot of people saying no, just privacy, privacy and a lot of people telling others to put their phones away… Kinda makes you proud to be a Wellingtonian,” Morrison said.
Morrison said it was a sleepless night for him while he was worrying about the well being for of the woman who was hit.
Staff from the Tasting Bar also ran out to help provide assistance to the woman.
Director and Manager, Kevin McAree said what happened outside his bar is terrible and is the first time something of this nature has happened in five years of owning The Tasting Room.
He wasn’t at the bar at the time of the crash but plans to check in on the welfare of his staff that were.
“Obviously it’s going to be an experience they’ll never forget and give them any counselling they may need and just give them a big hug and a thanks from us for doing the right thing and looking out for people who have been hurt on Courtenay Place,” McAree said.
Sam Chandler had finished watching a film at the Embassy when she saw all the commotion on Courtenay Place.
“I think it’s wonderful the people responded so quickly to help the woman and obtain the driver but I think you have to be so careful now if you think there is a problem with a person… A lot of these people have mental health problems,” Chandler said.
Wellingtonian, Kaitlyn wasn’t aware about last nights crash but stays vigilant when on Courtenay Place.
“When I’m on Courtenay Place, personally I’m always really aware of the traffic cause I’ve heard some stories, I’ve heard some accidents have occurred in the past so especially when I’m crossing the road I’m just really careful cause I know it happens and I wouldn’t want it to happen to me… But I think people need to be a little bit more careful because you can’t control your environment, you need to be aware of things,”Kaitlyn said.
Police declined an interview with RNZ and couldn’t provide an update on the woman but said in a statement enquiries are in their early stages.