An Oamaru teenager has described the terrifying moment a car hurtled at her when she was crossing the road, hitting her, before being able only to stand and watch as another victim died in front of her.
Courtney Cunningham (13) had gone into Oamaru with her half-sister Bailey Wilson on Monday morning to buy a phone charger.
The pair were almost across a pedestrian crossing, heading towards the Lagonda Milk Bar, when they heard a loud bang.
"I didn't know what it was or where it was coming from. Then I saw a car driving on the footpath towards us,'' she said.
"My sister just got out of the way in time but I didn't have enough time to move ... he ran over my foot.''
The loud bang was the sound of the car driven by an 86-year-old man hitting a 70-year-old woman on the footpath.
She was taken to Dunedin Hospital with severe injuries.
"She was bleeding a lot and needed help to breathe. It looked like she was in a lot of pain,'' Courtney said.
Courtney, a Waitaki Girls' High School pupil, next remembers hearing the screams of a man - pedestrian Gerald James Cowley (67), of Waikouaiti, who was hit by the car and died at the scene.
"[The driver] went over the top of him and he screamed. It all happened really quickly. Lots of people came running out from the shops and cafe.''
"He just died in front of our eyes ... it's just so sad.''
The car then collided with two vehicles before driving into a pole.
Yesterday, Courtney's right foot was numb, swollen and bruised, but she was feeling very lucky to escape with minor injuries.
"If I had've taken one more step, I probably would've been full-on hit,'' she said.
Both Courtney and Bailey were having flashbacks of Monday's events, but were receiving a huge amount of support from strangers, family and friends.
"We've just been attached to our phones; we've just had so many people sending messages,'' Bailey said.
Sergeant Craig Sew Hoy, of Oamaru, said police were still appealing for witnesses to the fatal crash, which happened at 11.30am on Monday at the corner of Thames and Eden Sts.
A vehicle drove on to the footpath, hitting three pedestrians and killing Mr Cowley.
It then continued back on to the street, where it struck two other vehicles.
All three drivers involved in the crash were also taken to Oamaru Hospital.
Sgt Sew Hoy said police were still determining the cause of the crash and it was too early to say if there would be any charges.
He thanked all those who had assisted at the scene on Monday.
"Obviously it was quite chaotic for the town, as well as the people involved,'' he said.
Police would like to hear from anyone else who was hit by the vehicle and did not report it at the time.
"Also, anybody who has seen the vehicle leading up to, or during, [the crash],'' he said.
"Especially before the crash, or as it's happened.''
Sgt Sew Hoy said the thoughts of police were with the family of the deceased man and all of those injured.
- Additional reporting by NZME.
