Matt Turner was on his way to the funeral of a friend killed in a hit-and-run when he was himself run over by a car - so he had the tread marks on his arm turned into a tattoo.
The Whangarei 19-year-old said he was riding his motorbike to the funeral
of his former boss, cyclist and road safety campaigner Fred Ogle, when a driver pulled a U-turn and hit him.
"It's pretty ironic that it happened on the way to the funeral of a hit-and-run victim."
While getting the tread marks permanently tattooed on his arm might seem extreme, Mr Turner said he did it to keep the dangers of the road fresh in his mind.
"I just wanted to remember what happened. The next time I go riding, I'll be more aware. I have no trust in drivers any more. There's a lot of idiots out there. It's not just young people, it's everybody. You don't know who's on the road. This is my reminder to be alert," he said.
Mr Turner said his helmet, jacket and gloves saved him in the accident, at the bottom of Fire Brigade Hill around 2pm on August 20.
"I was so lucky. I looked up and the back wheel came right over my left shoulder and forearm," Mr Turner said. "The wheel clipped my helmet. I'm pretty lucky I still have my head. It could have been a much worse story."
Mr Turner was taken to hospital and was ``gutted' to miss the funeral.
He had worked for Mr Ogle at Leader Contracting and remembered his old boss as "a really good dude".
"He was straight to the point. You knew where you stood with him. And he was known to have a joke every now and then.
"I would have liked to have been there to pay my respects," he said.
Police are investigating Mr Turner's accident.
Mr Ogle was killed in a hit-and-run on August 16 during his regular Saturday morning bike ride on SH14.
Hukerenui chef John Williams, 62, has since been charged with failing to ascertain injury and dangerous driving causing death.
