Richard Goodley will continue his astounding recovery from the comfort of his Hawke's Bay home since arriving back from Auckland after delays in his rehabilitation.
The 34-year-old Hastings resident was badly injured when the car he was driving collided with a truck at the intersection of Ruahapia and Pakowhai Rds on May 4. He was immediately rushed to Hawke's Bay Hospital before being transferred to Waikato Hospital.
He was later sent to a rehabilitation unit in Auckland before he received the all-clear to continue his recovery at Abano Rehabilitation in Hastings a week ago.
He required skin grafts to his arm, pins were inserted into his leg, which is held together by scaffolding, and the front part of his skull was removed to help reduce the swelling pressure on his brain.
Mr Goodley told Hawke's Bay Today he could remember reversing down his sister's drive on May 4, but his next memory was being in an ambulance on the way to Auckland hospital about 20 days later.
"It feels good to be back in Hastings rather than Auckland," he said. "Auckland is a nice place but a bit hard for people to come visit. My mum and sister and one of my mates from Napier have come over to visit and [I've had] a couple of visitors from Flaxmere."
He has been told it could be six months before he is healthy again, with plenty of rehabilitation likely to help him walk after his leg was broken in three places. He could only move a few metres to the walker and wheelchair rack on his own.
"By the sounds of it, it is turning into a longer process than I wanted. I haven't really started any [rehab] here but they've got me to walk with the walker and that seems to be working fine."
He admitted it was difficult getting comfortable, particularly when sleeping, due to the metal scaffolding on his leg and he was expecting a "long and slow" recovery.
"I've still got another six weeks to figure out what to do with it, because apparently it still isn't healing very well. Next week it sounds like we're going to do a plan for physio and all that. They've just given me a week to settle in here.
"My main concern is having the top of my head put back in. They reckon one side of the brain was bleeding and the other side of the brain was bruised."
To help protect his head while the front part of his skull is missing he must wear a rugby helmet when moving around, and the irony is not lost on him, as he claims he never wore one in his playing days.
His partner Sarah Lister, who was also in the car during the accident, said he was very lucky.
"Everyone is surprised at how quickly his head injury has recovered. My opinion from meeting other people is he has been very lucky to go as far as he has gone - so quickly as well."
A 56-year-old male truck driver charged in relation to the incident will appear in court later this month charged with two counts of careless driving causing injury. The maximum penalty for careless driving causing injury is $4500 or three months' imprisonment.