The woman and other witnesses moved the 22-year-old man to her house. He was conscious and told them his ex-girlfriend ran him over because he didn't have any money for her.
When the man's mother, Te Aroha Valentine, arrived at the scene she said her son had been slipping in and out of consciousness, so she called the police.
"He was all grazed up ... he said he had felt his head go under the wheel," she said.
Her son had been staying at her nearby residence and had children with his ex-girlfriend.
"There were heaps of witnesses," Ms Valentine said, "which is good for my son's sake.
"I hope he pulls through," she said.
A St John Ambulance Service spokesman said the man had been walking around when an ambulance arrived at the scene about 4.30pm.
The man had minor head injuries and abrasions.
He was taken to hospital in a stable condition and was later discharged.
Police at the scene confirmed someone had been run over but would not say if it had been deliberate. Eastern District Command Centre Senior Sergeant Nick Dobson said it was a motor-vehicle crash which the Serious Crash Unit had attended.
It was being investigated by Hawke's Bay CIB.