The son-in-law of a 68-year-old woman who is still fighting for her life a week after she was hit on a pedestrian crossing says he's been advocating for pedestrian safety to be improved in the area for years.
Joseph Rebello's elderly mother-in-law was on the pedestrian crossing at the Three Kings Plaza shops on Mt Albert Rd in Auckland about midday on March 22 when she was hit by a car.
She went over the bonnet of the car and flew about 5m on to the road, Mr Rebello said.
She suffered serious head injuries and also broke her hip bone. She is still in a coma at Auckland City Hospital.
"She is in a bad shape ... She had been walking across the road to the supermarket.
"We didn't expect her to go through something as serious as this at her age. We don't know what's going to happen."
Mr Rebello believed his mother-in-law had thought the car would stop before walking over the crossing.
He went to the scene soon after and saw the young male driver of the vehicle talking to police.
The whole family was "traumatised" by what had happened, Mr Rebello said.
"Her husband is 80 years old and has diabetes. We've told him it was just a minor accident because we're worried about stressing him.
"My sister-in-law lives with him and is really worried. My wife has taken unpaid leave from work to look after everyone.
"We need people's prayers at this difficult time."
Mr Rebello told the Herald he had been advocating for improved safety for pedestrians on Mt Albert Rd for eight years.
"I've been to my local board; I've been to the council; I've been to Auckland Transport.
"It's a busy area. I've seen lots of crashes and near crashes over the years, and there's boy racers that race up and down the road.
"There should be traffic lights at that crossing."
An Auckland City police spokeswoman said police investigations into the incident were continuing.
An Auckland Transport spokesman said it was working with the police serious crash unit on its investigation.
The pedestrian crossing was put in in 2014, replacing a pedestrian island on the road.