The driver of a Honda Civic which crashed into a rock wall on State Highway 6 last year has no memory of the crash, or that day.
But, along with the scars on his body from the multiple surgeries he has since endured, George Bruce Tall (21) has a tattoo to remind him that his seatbelt saved his life as part of a safety campaign, run by the NZ Transport Agency and Vice, encouraging people to ''belt up, live on''.
Yesterday the shop assistant, of Lake Hayes, was sentenced by Judge John Brandts-Giesen in the Queenstown District Court having admitted careless driving causing injury to Ben Akin-Smith on October 12 at the Devil's Staircase on the Kingston road.
Defence counsel Liam Collins said Tall ''has no memory'' of the crash, or the day.
Judge Brandts-Giesen said Tall was travelling south about 1.30pm, when he lost control of his vehicle on a left-hand bend while going about 70kmh.
His car started to fishtail and crossed the centre line.
Mr Akin-Smith was driving his car in the opposite direction and was hit head-on by Tall.
His car was shunted into a wire guard rail, which stopped it going over a steep bank and down towards Lake Wakatipu.
Tall's vehicle, meanwhile, smashed into a rock wall on the other side of the road.
Mr Collins said his client was cut from the wreckage and flown to Dunedin Hospital where he remained for 28 days.
He spent about three and a-half months in a wheelchair before starting to walk again with crutches.
Mr Collins said Tall's ''first waking memory'' was concern for the other party - he had ''reached out'' to Mr Akin-Smith from hospital, paid for his car and contacted his insurance company.
Arguing for Tall's disqualification to be backdated, Mr Collins contended to disqualify him from now would be ''unduly punitive'.
Judge Brandts-Giesen said Tall drove too fast and, as a result, he ''came off second best''.
''You are lucky that you didn't hit a tourist bus because you could very well have been dead and others could have been seriously injured.''
Tall was fined $800, ordered to pay $1000 emotional harm reparation and $1093 reparation as well as $130 court costs.
He was also disqualified for seven months, which with backdating to January 14 meant his disqualification will end in July.
