Third time unlucky in path of foolish drivers

A Whangarei woman who lost her husband and son and was disabled in a serious car accident is urging drivers to take more care on the road after another close encounter.
A 4x4 that was towing a boat ran a red light on Western Hills Dr near Burger King and collected Mhairi Collins, 49, when she was crossing the road on her daily walk on Wednesday at 10am.
"It was absolutely terrifying. I honestly thought my life was over," she said.
Mrs Collins said she "saw the little green man" (indicating she could cross) and thought she could go. She checked the road and stepped out with her neighbour's dog, Mason, in tow.
"I mustn't have seen him coming. But, I had the right of way. He shouldn't have gone, it was a bloody red light."
Mrs Collins saw the green-grey 4x4 at the last minute and stepped back, but was clipped by the large black boat that the vehicle was towing and was swung to the ground, banging her head on the road.
The driver didn't stop and passers-by helped the injured woman.
"I wonder if the driver even noticed. I bloody hope not," she said.
Mrs Collins was lucky to escape the incident with just bruising and a sore neck but was shaken from what she said "could've been the end of me".
The ex-teacher was left partially blind after a car accident in 1996, which may have been why she didn't see the vehicle at the busy intersection.
"Basically, a whole half of my world is blank."
Mrs Collins was left fighting for her life after a truck trailer swung across the road and crashed into her family's vehicle, killing her first husband, Martin Titchener, 32, and eldest son, Joshua Fleming, 12.
Her 6-year-old son, Jason, escaped with a broken arm but Mrs Collins suffered a brain injury causing partial blindness and epilepsy, a broken femur and ribs, a lacerated liver and a fractured hip.
"I was lucky to live," she said.
More than 12 years on she is sick and tired of "selfish drivers who don't care about pedestrians".
Mrs Collins hasn't been able to drive after the 1996 accident, and has relied on walking to get her everywhere.
"I don't know what I would do if I couldn't walk."
It was the third time she had been involved in a car accident.
In February this year a man hit her on the footpath at BP Wylies on Maunu Rd, Whangarei.
Mrs Collins is part of the Disabled Sector Reference Group who lobby support for the disabled community.
Ironically, the group are working on a project to raise awareness about red-light runners.
"It happens all the time. It's just awful. You really have to look before you leap," she said.
With the summer holidays on us, she warned drivers to take care.