Boy, 3, stable after being hit by 4WD

The boy's status has been changed from critical to stable. Photo / File

A three-year-old boy is lucky to be alive after being hit by a four-wheel-drive on a stretch of open road yesterday morning, an incident the woman behind the wheel described as every driver's worst nightmare.

The woman, who did not wish to be identified, said the boy appeared "out of nowhere" as she drove along rural Waikawa Beach Rd in Manakau, south of Levin, a road she had driven down every day for about 20 years.

She said she would have hit a cyclist had she swerved to the right, so she tried to manoeuvre onto a grass verge to the left but could not avoid the toddler.

"I only wish now I'd gone through one of the gardens or into the house rather than where I ended up. It was just one of those split second decisions," she said.

"I hope like hell he survives."

She said she felt "like I've been hit by a bus" after the incident.

"I've got children of my own who are getting their licences so I'm forever hammering home the defensive driving message but I just couldn't avoid him. He was so small. It's every driver's worst nightmare."

The boy was initially listed as being in a critical condition but this was changed to 'stable' after he was admitted to Palmerston North Hospital's paediatric unit.

Police said there was a scuffle between one of the boy's family members and the woman after the crash.

The driver did not wish to discuss this incident but other Manakau locals understood she had been punched.

Police were investigating.

The woman said the once quiet, rural area was becoming built-up and was seeing a dramatic increase in traffic as it became a popular holiday destination.

Chris Dungan, of the Manakau District Community Association, said he and others had been lobbying the Horowhenua District Council for about a year to get the 100km/h speed limit on Waikawa Beach Rd lowered.

"The council is constrained by the legislation it works under, however, having said that, they won't move until someone pokes them with a sharp stick.

"There's been a serious accident so I think the time has come for us to hold out a handful of really sharp sticks and poke them pretty hard with this one."

The boy's neighbour, John Jenkins, said the child was "extremely lucky" to be alive.

He also supported lowering the speed limit to 80km/h.

"When we first moved here 40 years ago we'd be lucky to see as much traffic in a week as we see in half an hour now. It's quite incredible. Neighbours' kids used to play cricket on the road and they might see one car in an hour.

"There's got to be something done about this road."