‘Drunk’ driver plows into CBD pedestrian

A Christchurch pedestrian was critically injured after being hit by a car driven by man who has since been charged with driving drunk and speeding.

The driver allegedly crossed a raised cycleway on Cambridge Tce in the central city, mounted the footpath and crashed into James Leigh, breaking his pelvis, vertebrae, leg, forearm and thumb about 11.40pm on Saturday.

Leigh’s fiancee, Olivia Timmings, said her partner was lucky to have survived.

She said Leigh had left Fat Eddie’s bar on nearby Hereford St alone and was walking to meet an Uber to go home. She said he remembers seeing a glowing set of headlights zooming towards him before he was hit.

The driver reportedly climbed out of the car and started to walk away but was grabbed and brought back by a bystander.

A woman in the vehicle following the driver pulled over to help Leigh and witnesses called emergency services.

A police spokesman said a 27-year-old man had been arrested and charged with driving dangerously causing injury and driving with excess breath alcohol.

Police called Timmings shortly after the crash.

They told her to meet them at Christchurch Hospital’s emergency department. ‘‘I had no idea how bad it was. It was touch and go and he was off getting X-rays. It was just a waiting game to see what wasn’t broken,’’ she said.

Leigh is still in hospital and while Timmings said he was ‘‘doing well’’, he has a long way to go before he has made a full recovery.

Acting road policing manager Kelly Larsen said the crash highlighted the potentially fatal consequences of driving at an ‘‘inappropriate speed’’ and while impaired by alcohol.

She said Leigh was ‘‘incredibly fortunate to be alive’’.

A police spokesman said the arrested man was due to appear in Christchurch District Court today.

‘‘I had no idea how bad it was. It was touch and go.’’ Olivia Timmings