Family fly to victim's bedside

A 38 year-old Carterton man who was seriously injured on Tuesday after his Toyota Prado 4WD spun out of control at Kokotau is still in a serious condition in Wellington Hospital's intensive care unit, as his family travel to be by his bedside.

Glen Hutchings, 38, was the only occupant of the four-wheel-drive vehicle which crashed through a fence into a paddock about 100m from the bridge crossing the Ruamahanga River, just before 7pm. The vehicle rolled, throwing the driver clear.

He was found unconscious about 60m from where the Prado came to rest.

A spokesperson at Wellington Hospital said there has been no change in his condition since being brought in on Tuesday.

Mr Hutchings, a father of three, has been in a medically induced coma since he sustained head and leg injuries in the crash. Doctors are still assessing the extent of his head injuries.

Sergeant Carolyn Watson of Masterton police said that while police now had a much clearer indication of how the crash occurred, they were still appealing to any witnesses who have not yet contacted them.

She said it "appeared likely" that Mr Hutchings was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash occurred and she said it was likely that he was thrown out of the sunroof of his 4-wheel drive.

It is believed the driver had returned from living in Australia last week, where his ex-wife and children still reside, and had been living with family in Carterton.

The injured man's ex-wife and two of his children have travelled from Australia to be at his bedside.