Whangarei woman seriously injured after freak incident with limestone rock

A Whangarei woman was found lying in a pool of blood after a freak incident in which a suspected drunk driver crashed into a one-tonne limestone rock.
A 22-year-old student was found lying motionless by a Raumanga resident who was woken by a "huge crash" outside her front gate near the start of Raumanga Valley Rd, about 1.30am yesterday.
Police are investigating whether a vehicle driven by a suspected drink-driver hit Alison Bryant or whether she was injured by flying pieces of the rock struck by the vehicle.
At the scene yesterday, black tyre marks, about 50m long, showed the vehicle's path before it smashed into the rock, estimated to weigh about one tonne.
It appeared the rock flew through the air for about 8m before it struck a footpath and broke into three large pieces.
The biggest piece then rolled another 10m while two chunks ended up in a drain next to the path.
Sand covered an oil trail from the damaged four-wheel-drive vehicle, which had travelled along the footpath, then back on to Raumanga Valley Rd before turning right on to State Highway One. Police say the driver involved in the crash did not stop and was found at the Otaika shopping complex about a kilometre away.
Family members went to the scene yesterday searching for answers after they visited Ms Bryant at Whangarei Hospital.
Older brother Peter Bryant said his sister was transferred to Middlemore Hospital in Auckland where she was having surgery to her foot yesterday.
Surgeons were hopeful they could save the foot after initial fears it would have to be amputated.
"How did this happen?" he asked looking at the lumps of the shattered rock. "We just want some answers. Ali lost so much blood she's had to have a transfusion and she's in so much pain."
Mr Bryant believed his sister, who is studying business administration at NorthTech, had been visiting a friend.
A neighbour woken by the crash expected to see two badly damaged cars.
"I grabbed the phone and started dialling as I rushed out the door. I was looking for two cars because it was such a huge crash, but there was nothing," she said. "I saw someone lying motionless on the ground. As I went over she started groaning and saying she couldn't feel her legs. It was bloody scary."
She said the large limestone rock had been at the driveway entrance for more than four years.
"It must have taken a hell of a whack to move that rock," she said.
A 28-year-old Whangarei man has been charged with failing to stop and ascertain injury and dangerous driving causing injury. He failed an alcohol breath test but opted to have a blood test done. Police are awaiting the results.