A man critically injured after a hit and run in Wellington’s infamous Hataitai bus tunnel is calling on the council to improve its safety features.
Another accident this week has given strength to the argument.
Earl Krauskopf faces a long road to recovery.
He spent three weeks in a coma after being left for dead, following a hit and run in the tunnel.
“We're getting there, not as quick as I'd like to but quicker than the doctors expected so I'm way ahead of schedule. They said six months to a year, more likely eight months,” says Mr Krauskopf.
“I’m on the four-month mark.”
Mr Krauskopf was hit in January taking an illegal walk home through the tunnel after a night out.
Pedestrians and cars are banned from using it. But many do, taking advantage of the short cut through to Hataitai.
“The vehicle carried me about 50 or 60m into the tunnel, so I must have been fairly close to the Pirie St side of the tunnel when I was struck,” says Mr Krauskopf.
“Then I was dragged to the side of the tunnel and the vehicle carried on through, and ran over my hand on the way out.”
Police have not yet found the driver.
After Mr Krauskopf's hit and run a local resident set up a stake-out to show how many cars and pedestrians use the tunnel illegally.
He was hoping to use the pictures as evidence to persuade the council to install barrier arms.
That has not stopped pedestrians - another was hit in the tunnel just last Wednesday.
The council says barrier arms would be too expensive.
“One of the challenges we’ve got is how much we do spent on this, compared to other road safety issues we’ve got around the city,” says Wellington City Councillor Andy Foster.
Despite this, local residents told 3 News they will continue to fight for the council to take their tunnel safety concerns seriously.
Mr Krauskopf says people should learn from his misfortune and not walk through the tunnel in the first place.
3 News
source: newshub archive
