By Helen Vaughan
A driver who crashed into two young girls on a footpath in south Auckland was drunk, speeding and disqualified from driving when the accident happened.
An eight-year-old girl is in a critical condition in Starship Hospital after the crash on Wordsworth Road in south Auckland.
Her 11-year-old friend was also injured but has been discharged from hospital.
Police have charged a 27-year-old man.
“I heard a bang. It sounded like a gunshot, and when I looked back I saw the car with smoke coming out of its wheels,” says an eyewitness.
“Basically when it hit the kids the kids got flung into the air and then it smashed the entire fence and came to a halt,” says liquor store owner Christopher Narayan.
White paint and skid marks show where the car came down the road and ploughed into the two girls.
“It looked like she was paralysed because she was not able to move. Her arm was broken, her ankle was broken and it was up by her foot. There was blood coming out of her mouth and there was [something] like a plank of wood mark across her face,” says an eyewitness.
“Any serious crash is bad but because it’s involving once again innocent victims, two children walking along a road probably talking about their Christmas holidays. It’s something that none of us expect to happen on the road but unfortunately it does happen,” says Inspector Heather Wells of the Manukau Police.
Today, police checked braking distances on the road.
They estimate the car was going 103km/h in a 50km/h zone.
Liquor store owner Mr Narayan was standing at his front door across the road when the incident happened.
“When the driver and the passenger took off, the entire crowd went after them and caught them and brought them back,” he says.
Police arrested the 27-year-old driver of the car this morning. He has been charged with excess breath alcohol causing injury but more serious carges are likely to follow.
He will appear in Manukau District Court tomorrow.
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