An 18-year-old Waipukurau man is in a critical condition at Hawke's Bay Hospital following a "freak accident" on the weekend which saw him fall into the path of an oncoming car.
Police believe the young man had been drinking with friends and was sitting in the middle of the road on Herbert Street when the accident happened about 7pm on Saturday.
St John ambulance staff from Waipukurau assessed his condition before he was taken to hospital, accompanied by Hastings intensive care paramedics.
"He had head, chest and back injuries - all of which were serious," St John District operations manager Stephen Smith said.
Details of exactly how he came into contact with the vehicle were still "hazy" but Constable Andy Walker said the 59-year-old local woman driving the car did not appear to be at fault.