'I thought I was dead.” That was the immediate thought that ran through the mind of Nick Kerr, who needed to have most of his foot reattached following a motorbike crash on Wednesday afternoon.
The area manager for EC Credit Control was riding on Pyes Pa Road when he was involved in a collision with a Toyota Starlet shortly before 3pm.
Nick faces three weeks in hospital and months of recovery time. Photos: Supplied.
The impact of the crash almost lead to his foot being amputated, and the 34-year-old now faces months of rehabilitation.
Speaking to SunLive from his hospital bed in Tauranga, Nick admits he is lucky to be alive.
'My foot was almost ripped off,” he says. 'I've had some initial surgery and I'm going to have full reconstructive surgery on my left leg, so it looks like my kickboxing career is over,” he jokes.
'I'm lucky to be alive though. If I hadn't turned so much, one of us would have been dead – that's for sure.
A 400kg motorbike versus a Toyota Starlet. I just had the idea to turn at the last minute.”
Nick says his left leg took the full brunt of the impact.
'My leg was just about to be ripped off,” says Nick. 'It was pretty gross. I genuinely thought I was dead.”
Nick will undergo reconstructive surgery on his leg next week.
Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says police are investigating the crash.
'The motorcyclist was overtaking a line of traffic when a car in the row of vehicles made a right turn into a driveway.”
Witnesses statements were gathered at the scene and police are continuing to investigate the incident.
4 comments
Overtaking
Posted on 20-11-2015 15:25 | By porky
So Nick on his motorbike was being impatient and over taking a row of cars and an innocent driver turning right got hit. I see so many motorcyclists doing this, no wonder their ACC levies are so high.
Here we go again?
Posted on 20-11-2015 20:29 | By groutby
If indeed the bike Nick was riding was indeed upwards of 400kg, then that suggests to me a seriously large Harley or maybe a Goldwing GL1800..not easy to miss do you think with running lights and headlamp on?..well maybe yes to those who do not obey road rules, are impatient and make "hasty" decisions without thought for those around?..so, did the driver of the Starlet do MSM..?..MSM? = mirror, signal, manoeovre..AND give at least 3 x seconds of indication before doing so?..(refer NZ road code please)..did we do this?..probably not...hopefully charges to follow then?
Silly Boy
Posted on 21-11-2015 11:38 | By Consequence
After years of motorcycling defensive driving always come first. Motorcyclists can never make assumptions and passing a line of traffic without wondering why they have stopped or slowed is silly. Thinking you are In the right does not make the consequences go away. Traffic does have a right to turn right into their driveway.
Pondering
Posted on 25-11-2015 20:27 | By penguin
Aren't motorcycles classified as vehicles? Therefore, if a passing manoeuvre is deemed unsafe in a car e.g. passing a line of vehicles, then why do motor bike riders think that they are exclusive?
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