Despite being found semiconscious, wedged between the steering wheel and the driver's seat, Buchanan initially denied being the driver. He later pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless driving causing injury.
In Hastings District Court yesterday, he entered the dock on crutches and, through his lawyer, Peter Austin, said he had suffered serious knee injuries yet had no memory of the accident.
Though he was struggling to be remorseful for something he couldn't remember, he was genuinely concerned about his victim's injuries, Mr Austin said.
Judge Bridget Mackintosh defied a probation report's recommendation for a non-custodial sentence, and said jail time was warranted due to the "high level of recklessness".
Buchanan, who admitted smoking cannabis just before the collision, had changed his victim's life forever, she said.
"One stupid incident can bring life-altering changes for people and that's not fair," Judge Mackintosh said. "They're entitled to feel seriously aggrieved about it.
"There's been a catastrophic effect on Mr Ross and his family and it's essential there needs to be a deterrent factor to this sentencing."
Buchanan also admitted a separate dangerous driving charge that occurred a week earlier, where he crashed head-first into a bank on Waimarama Rd.
Judge Mackintosh sentenced him to 15 months jail and ordered reparation of $3000 to his victim's family. He was also disqualified from driving for three years.
The victim's father, Hugh Ross, said he was "reasonably happy" with the sentence. "We got a result that was about as good as we could expect. I don't know what I would have done if he didn't get sent to prison," Mr Ross said.
The family had refused an offer to attend a Restorative Justice meeting with Buchanan. "Why would we ever want to talk to this guy?"
His son, who was still on crutches, faced a "real slow" recovery, he said.
