The personal toll of a crash involving a pedestrian at Waitati, where there are calls for a lower speed limit, has been put in front of transport officials.
A teenage pedestrian survived after being hit by a vehicle on State Highway 1 last month and a statement from the boy’s father was read out at a Dunedin City Council meeting yesterday by Waitati resident Amee Parker, who presented a petition calling for the speed limit to be cut from 100kmh to 70kmh.
A video clip of Dr Parker’s presentation to the council was then sent immediately to the roading authority in charge, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
The estimated speed of the crash impact was nearly 70kmh, the father’s statement said.
Children who witnessed the crash said the first thing his son did was apologise to the driver for breaking their windscreen.
He was then taken by ambulance to Dunedin Hospital’s accident and emergency department.
Dr Parker said the boy was now doing well.
Receiving the news his boy had been hit on the highway reached deep inside the distraught father in a way he never wanted to experience again, she said.
He also had to inform the boy’s mother.
The father and son had since hosted the upset driver at their house, helping to ease the driver’s anguish.
"There is always a personal story to these situations", Dr Parker said.
"[The father] asks you to consider the impact on other children who were witness to the accident, too."
He described police as having been wonderful in the circumstances.
She also said improving the safety of the stretch of road was far from a new concern.
Dr Parker started a petition seven years ago and it now had more than 800 signatures.
She described crossing the highway as perilous and the intersection with Harvey St as busy.
"At SH 1 in Waitati there is a lot going on", Dr Parker said.
Cars and trucks travelled north and south on the highway and into and out of Harvey St in Waitati.
"There are cars pulling into and out of the general store on the west side of the state highway", Dr Parker said.
"There are cars, trucks and buses pulling into and out of the parking lot on the eastern side.
"There are people crossing the road on foot or bike to get to the store or bus stop."
Dr Parker said she had seen many close calls in the past decade.
"It’s a really stressful intersection", she said.
An immediate cut to the speed limit was needed for safety, she said.
The petition is on change.org.
The transport agency has been approached for comment.
