‘Random life moment’ hits
CHRISTCHURCH: Ryan Walsh maintains he is just a normal New Zealand bloke who unfortunately became the victim of a ‘‘random life moment’’.
He was driving along State Highway 7 near Reefton on Sunday, when a tree fell over and crushed his beloved Honda City.
Mr Walsh does not remember much from the incident except waking up covered in glass and looking at the mangled mess.
Amazingly, he managed to wriggle himself through the driver’s side window and waited for help to arrive.
‘‘I was just driving back to Christchurch, doing about 90k and then just bam!
‘‘I don’t even remember the impact. I must have got knocked out because when I came to I was trapped in the car.
‘‘I got out and was standing there on an empty road with my car with a tree through the middle of it.’’
While he was waiting on the road a mate unexpectedly arrived with his ute and helped pull the tree off his car, which was destroyed.
A man with a love of motorcycles, Mr Walsh said the accident was devastating because he only drove cheap cars and the City had been amazing.
‘‘I’ve had it for the past two and ahalf years and it has just been primo,’’ Mr Walsh said.
‘‘It runs like an absolute clock, has the meanest heater, it’s got wicked sounds in it, it’s got wicked window wipers, it’s a great little car. I’m shattered that it’s flat now.’’
After pulling the tree off the car, Mr Walsh got back into the driver’s seat and parked it on the side of the road to allow other vehicles to get past.
It wasn’t until he arrived at hospital and the staff told him he had broken his neck and six ribs that he realised the extent of his injuries.
Fitted with a fullbody neck brace, Mr Walsh is stuck in a bed at Christchurch Hospital and until Wednesday he had not been able to sit up.
‘‘The neck’s the real bad one. It’s a C2 fracture — it’s more serious than I thought.’’
While he has been stuck in hospital, one of his friends, Peter Turner, has started a Givealittle page to raise money to help Mr Walsh buy another Honda City.
However, earlier this week a friend of Mr Turner got in touch and said ‘‘for $100 and a good bottle of plonk’’ he would give Mr Walsh a new City.
‘‘I thought you’d be silly not to take that,’’ Mr Turner said.
‘‘We’ll see how we go. The car isn’t going and I’ve got a few engineering mates who might be able to help us get it going.’’
Mr Walsh said he was extremely grateful for the help of his friends after the accident and he wanted to especially thank emergency services and hospital staff.
‘‘I’ve been made out to be a hard, tough guy, but I’m not,’’ he said.
‘‘I want to give a thankyou to all the staff of Reefton, Greymouth and Christchurch hospitals and ambulance.
‘‘They’ve all been fantastic and they’re a different type of person to do the job they do. It’s unreal.’’ — NZME