The vehicle was a Purple Ford Falcon XR6, and the incident happened between Duke Street and Worsley Street on Wainui Road.
“I do remember the man who picked me up calling over to the man whose vehicle it was and saying that I had been hit by the wheel and he was going to take me home.”
Mrs Walsh is on crutches, and in a lot of pain with a large bruise on the back of her leg where the wheel hit her, cuts and bruises from being knocked to the ground and a black eye. A CAT scan fortunately showed no swelling to the inside of her head, she said.
The wheel ended up two houses down from where Mrs Walsh was hit, on the fence of a Wainui Road resident.
Driver stopped then leftThe resident said the driver stopped his vehicle to get the wheel, and then left.
Mrs Walsh’s husband Walter, Gisborne entertainer Walter The Wiz, said he wanted closure from the incident and would like the driver of the Purple Ford Falcon to contact him.
“He can do it privately if he wants.
“As a concerned husband I would like the person involved to get in contact with us and just say sorry.”
Mr Walsh would also like the good samaritan who stopped and helped his wife home to also get in contact so they can thank him.
Mrs Walsh rang her mother, who is a nurse, once she got home. Her mother then called the ambulance, which attended to her at home before taking her to hospital. The police also attended.
Mrs Walsh says she will never walk on a main road again.
“I’ll walk the back roads from now on. It’s just too dangerous. It was like being struck by lightning, straight up.”
* Police have so far been unable to identify the vehicle or driver involved and would like to hear from any witnesses to the incident.
“There was a description given but so far we have not been able to trace the vehicle,” said Senior Sergeant Maui Aben.
“We are definitely interested in being able to do so and hope we can get more information.
“We would like to hear from the driver of the vehicle towing the trailer and the man who helped Mrs Walsh.”
