Family call for driver in hit-and-run to 'own up' after crash

Motorcyclist Adrian McCaughan recovering in hospital after he was hit by a double cab ute in Mosgiel. Photo / Supplied

The family of a motorcyclist injured in a "shocking" Mosgiel hit-and-run are calling for the driver of a double-cab ute to own up.

Adrian McCaughan, 48, said he was riding his new Yamaha down Riccarton Rd on his way to play golf when he was sideswiped by a ute coming out of Bush Rd, about 11.30am on Sunday.

McCaughan, a project manager, tried to avoid the collision, but the ute hit the side of his leg and drove him into a culvert.

Despite being in pain, he managed to crawl out of the ditch and was assisted by an off-duty nurse who stopped to help.

Another witness told Mr McCaughan the ute that hit him stopped for about two seconds then drove off.

He was a "wee bit annoyed" the driver did a runner and did not understand why the driver failed to stop.

The crash was unnecessary, despite it being a dangerous intersection, he said.

"Take some time and actually have a look," was his message to motorists.

Adrian McCaughan told the Herald from his hospital bed that he suffered compound fractures to his tibia and fibula in his right leg. Surgeons operated on Sunday night and put an external frame on his lower leg to stabilize it.

Doctors are waiting for the swelling to go down before they operate again to put plates in.

It would be at least another three or four months until he was healed enough to play golf, he said.

McCaughan's sister, Jenny, said the news of her brother's crash "didn't really make my day".

She heard about it shortly after the crash and arrived on the scene before emergency services.

She said the crash could have been a lot worse and her brother told her there was no way the ute driver could not have known about hitting the bike.

It was "shocking" and the driver's failure to stop was an example of irresponsibility, she said.

"Just own up, it's not rocket science — we all make mistakes," was her message for the ute driver.

She said the description of the ute had recently been updated after seeing camera footage from a local business.

Pictures had been passed to police and the family was now seeking information about a black double-cab older model LN106-style Hilux ute with a dog cage on the back, she said.

Dunedin Sergeant Boyd Smart said Mosgiel police were investigating.