Cherry-picker victim faces long recovery

Self-employed cabinet maker Murray Walker faces six months off work, with his leg in a cast after a cherry picker smashed through the windscreen of his van on Wednesday afternoon.

"I was heading back to Havelock North for my job, and had just hit the [Havelock North] bridge, when the cherry picker came at me," Mr Walker said.

"It was just so fast, it all flashes past you.

"I thought 's***', it's smashed the van, then I felt the pain in my leg and I realised what had happened."

The 57-year-old was pinned to his seat by the arm of the cherry picker, which had broken free from a Hastings District Council (HDC) ute heading in the opposite direction.

It was a long 40 minutes before firefighters could free him from the vehicle.

"They gave me some morphine and it was quite a delicate process to get me out of there," Mr Walker said.

"They had to get the doors off with the jaws of life, and cut off the steering wheel."

He was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital by St John Ambulance, where he spent two nights and was sent home yesterday afternoon.

It will be a long road to recovery. but despite the pain he remained positive.

"I broke my tibia. It wasn't so bad when it happened but it's extremely painful now. It could have been worse, it could have been a family that got hit."

While in hospital Mr Walker did not hear from the council, but a short time after he had been discharged a senior council representative arrived with flowers.

Discovering he had left hospital, the representative drove out to Mr Walker's house near Waimarama to deliver the flowers and have a chat.

Mr Walker said the council employee who had been driving the ute was visibly upset by what had happened.

"He was very concerned and upset, he wasn't trying to avoid anything," Mr Walker said.

His van had third party insurance, but was a write-off.

Hastings District Council did not want to make any further comment, but confirmed the ute driver was on leave after the accident.