Lucky escape from hit and run

APlummer’s Point man considers himself lucky to have escaped with four broken ribs after a brush with boy racers in late August - and believes traffic calming measures like bollards are the only way to end street races on the rural peninsula.

Cliff Morgan-French regrets challenging louts who ripped up roadside grass on Saturday 22nd August. They didn’t stop after striking him and went on to Tūī Glen in Ōmokoroa.

They were back at Huharua Park the following morning. A low-slung car was also reported revving at Links View Drive on Sunday evening.

A former policeman, Cliff says the overall situation has waxed and waned for 20 years.

“Each generation of hoons comes and goes. It used to upset me, and I’d go and wave my fist at them.

“The prior Thursday and Friday they’d been zooming outside our place. By Saturday I was sick of it, so I went to get the rego to phone the Police. That was a big mistake. I thought they’d come back when they saw my torch,” says Cliff.

“I was only inches away from worse, but I had no feeling he was going to drive at me until he was going past me. It was bloody close. He veered at the last second. I don’t think he intentionally hit me, but as the back end swung out and sideswiped me, I heard metal crumple. I was quite severely winded on the ground. I have a vague recollection he may have stopped at the end of the straight.

“All I wanted to do was get inside and call the Police. I went into shock after that, and my wife took me to hospital.”

Cliff says boy racers are there about 9.30pm every weekend. He says there are regularly fresh tyre marks and dirt dug up by cars sliding from the Reserve onto the road.

He’s asked Council for cameras, signage or barriers, and says he’s been told options are being considered. In the meantime, he’d like someone to offer some farmland, so the racers only injure themselves.