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.<\/p>\n
Brighton resident Ian Armstrong said he was a “bit banged up”, but it could have been much worse.<\/p>\n
He had a broken ankle and a suspected broken knee as a result of the crash.<\/p>\n
Chinese national Guannan Gu, 30, has been charged with dangerous driving causing injury and appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0attempting to overtake a truck and trailer 50m from a blind corner.<\/p>\n
“The next minute he was out in front of me and I pulled over hard as I could \u2014 then boom, wham, bang.”<\/p>\n
He said if Gu had waited a just second longer, he would not have hit anyone as there were no cars behind Mr Armstrong.<\/p>\n
“But I guess, such is life, I suppose.”<\/p>\n
Mr Armstrong\u2019s car, a 1969 Austin-Healey Sprite, had been his “passion project” for the six years he had owned it.<\/p>\n
He had been tinkering away at it all that time and it had been “coming along beautifully”.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s a big disappointment to me to see it the way it is.”<\/p>\n
There was little to no hope the car would ever be on the road again.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
At the Dunedin District Court yesterday, Gu appeared before a registrar and did not formally enter a plea.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The charge alleged the defendant was driving at a dangerous speed and carried a maximum penalty of five years\u2019 imprisonment and a fine of $20,000.<\/p>\n