Watch: Dunedin hit-and-run caught on camera

A Dunedin woman says she is frustrated the man who turned her life upside down in a hit-and-run is still at large, a week after the incident was caught on video.

Palmerston resident Charlotte Ryan said the incident happened on the afternoon of Saturday, November 19.

She was driving north on Filleul St when her car was hit in the left rear corner by a pink Suzuki Swift heading in the same direction.

Her car spun out, and when she got out to talk to the other driver, the man "just floored it", Ms Ryan said.

The hit-and-run was caught on video.

Ms Ryan was helped by four workers at a nearby renovation site who saw the crash.

At the time she felt fine due to adrenaline, but later was diagnosed with cracked ribs and concussion — after a seven-hour wait in the Dunedin Hospital emergency department.

Palmerston resident Charlotte Ryan with her beloved Mazda MX5 which was damaged in a hit-and-run...
Palmerston resident Charlotte Ryan with her beloved Mazda MX5 which was damaged in a hit-and-run incident. Photo: Gregor Richardson
For the foreseeable future she could no longer do her job as an underground miner at Macraes.

She was getting reduced income from ACC as Christmas approached and she was having to spend more money on driving to Dunedin for medical appointments.

Concentration had become a struggle and she was having to rely on friends and family to complete simple tasks.

"Essentially this man has turned my life upside down," she said.

She learned from police that the man was likely to be charged with dangerous driving, and she hoped more severe charges would follow.

While the police officer she had dealt with had been lovely, she was frustrated it had taken more than a week to hear about what would happen in what appeared to be a straightforward case.

She hoped the man would also be charged for failing to stop and would cover the damages to her car, Ms Ryan said.

A police spokeswoman said officers were undertaking extensive inquiries, including reviewing CCTV and maintaining contact with Ms Ryan.

 

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