Drunk walker survives car smash

Police are shaking their heads about how a heavily intoxicated man was flung 15m when hit by a car while walking along the middle of a rural road - and walked away with only minor cuts and bruises.

The man was walking along 100km/h-limit Opunake Rd, 4km west of Stratford, about 5.20am yesterday morning, when he was hit and thrown over the car.

Stratford Constable Heath Carlson told the Taranaki Daily News he couldn't believe the man wasn't killed, or at least badly injured.

"I've been to a few [accidents] where they've been hit at 20km/h and been left as paraplegics. It's just amazing," he said.

Hospital staff had suggested the man was drunk to the point of senselessness, which had prevented him from tensing up on impact with the car or the road, Mr Carlson said.

- NZPA