Dad tells driver to own up

Roman Faumuina with his baby daughter Blessing. Photo / Janna Dixon

A baby cousin of Olympic golden girl Beatrice Faumuina is lucky to be alive after a hit-and-run driver knocked her father to the ground as he carried her across the road.

Roman Faumuina, 33, was carrying his 14-month-old daughter Blessing across Great South Rd in Manurewa last Sunday when he was hit by a car.

He fell backwards on to the road and was knocked unconscious - but thankfully he managed to keep hold of his baby girl and stop her from being injured.

Witnesses said the car stopped for a moment - then sped off.

Speaking for the first time after being discharged from hospital, he said he was upset at initial media reports of a man stepping out into traffic after arguing with his wife.

In fact, he said, he and his wife Rosita had been shouting across the road to each other, discussing where they could buy baby formula.

"People reckon it was an argument but I think it was just because we were talking to each other in Samoan and our tone was different," he said.

"I was crossing the road to buy some formula for my daughter. I was holding her, there were cars stopped at red lights and I thought I could get across the road, at least to the island in the middle," he said.

"I saw the cars start to come towards me but I still thought I could make it. Then a car hit me in the back, a minivan I think. I fell backwards, I just held my baby to my chest."

Rosita Faumuina was standing on the opposite side of the road, watching in horror. She ran across the traffic to get to her baby. She said Blessing was not injured, and did not even cry. "I was so scared," she said.

Police are appealing for the car's driver to come forward.

Faumuina did not wake up until he got to hospital.

This weekend, Blessing was happy and full of energy at the couple's Manukau home. Though she did not sleep well the night of the hit-and-run, Roman said she had recovered from the fright well.

But he was having nightmares and said the trauma brought back memories of when he was stabbed in a robbery in 2007 when he was working as a security guard.

Faumuina said he had been drinking before he attempted to cross the road. "I had four or five wines. But I could still walk straight."

He was not angry at the driver but wanted them to contact police.