A Dunedin man was left with broken bones and “big disappointment” after his prized 1969 Austin-Healey Sprite was hit by another vehicle which allegedly crossed the centre line.
Brighton resident Ian Armstrong said he was a “bit banged up”, but it could have been much worse.
He had a broken ankle and a suspected broken knee as a result of the crash.
Chinese national Guannan Gu, 30, has been charged with dangerous driving causing injury and appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
Mr Armstrong did not remember much of the crash, but said he recalled that he was heading south towards Dunedin when Gu allegedly pulled into his lane while attempting to overtake a truck and trailer 50m from a blind corner.
“The next minute he was out in front of me and I pulled over hard as I could — then boom, wham, bang.”
He said if Gu had waited a just second longer, he would not have hit anyone as there were no cars behind Mr Armstrong.
“But I guess, such is life, I suppose.”
Mr Armstrong’s car, a 1969 Austin-Healey Sprite, had been his “passion project” for the six years he had owned it.
He had been tinkering away at it all that time and it had been “coming along beautifully”.
“It’s a big disappointment to me to see it the way it is.”
There was little to no hope the car would ever be on the road again.
Mr Armstrong had been heading to Dunedin from Moeraki, where he had lunch with other members of the Austin-Healey Otago and Southland Car Club.
At the Dunedin District Court yesterday, Gu appeared before a registrar and did not formally enter a plea.
He was granted bail on condition he surrender his passport and not drive. He is scheduled to appear in front of a judge next week.
The charge alleged the defendant was driving at a dangerous speed and carried a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a fine of $20,000.
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