Wheelchair occupant badly hurt in ute crash
A MOTORIST had a close encounter with an oncoming ute in South Dunedin shortly before a person in a wheelchair was critically injured in a crash yesterday afternoon.
The injured person was in Dunedin Hospital last night in a critical condition.
A woman said she was driving in King Edward St near the Oxford St intersection about 4.30pm when she saw an oncoming utility vehicle and ‘‘thought it was overtaking’’.
‘‘It headed straight for me at high speed.’’
She slowed further and the utility passed her passenger side door, about 2m away, and mounted the footpath on her side of King Edward St.
The motorist, who asked not to be named, said there was a ‘‘bang’’ as the utility hit something, and it then crossed the street behind her, eventually coming to rest, partly on the footpath, at the edge of the southbound lane.
Members of the public immediately went to help the injured person.
The motorist said she suspected the utility driver may have had a medical event.
A police spokeswoman later said she had no information on whether police were considering the possibility of a medical event affecting the utility driver, and further details were not available.
A couple of streetside posts were either broken off or damaged in the crash.
Part of King Edward St remained closed until about 9.30pm yesterday.
The police serious crash unit was at the scene.