Long road back for hit-and-run athlete

Daniel Anstis in his hospital bed after surgery on his leg. Photo / Wairarapa Times-Age

A promising athlete was run over in Masterton after being knocked off his bike by a car door.

Daniel Anstis, 21, broke his leg during the incident outside Pizza Hut on Sunday night.

"A car had parked there and the driver opened his door," he said. "I went smack into the door and was sent flying on to the road then a car drove past, ran over my leg and kept going."

While Pizza Hut staff phoned for an ambulance the driver who had opened the car door and others attempted to help him.

"But the car that ran over me didn't stop and I didn't get a look at the car at all."

The impact shattered his left leg, breaking both the tibia and fibula.

"I have now got a big steel rod in my leg, but I didn't have to have it put in plaster. The only other injuries were grazed ribs."

Wearing a helmet had saved him from almost certain brain damage.

The helmet was "munted" but Daniel said it was "better the helmet than my head".

And a mate who belongs to the same training group has already brought him a replacement.

"A far better one than I had, it's worth $200," he said.

The former 400m national secondary school boy's bronze medallist and Wellington track and field champion in AWD (athletes with disability) 200m, 400m and long jump, has been forced to miss an important track and field contest in Auckland this week.

The road back to full health, and a return to the track, will be long, but Daniel is starting as soon as he is discharged from Wairarapa Hospital.

"I will have to do quite a bit of swimming to strengthen my leg, but I am a good swimmer," he said. "Then there will be a lot of physio and walking. I won't be going to any track meets for a while as I am a bit damaged but I will be able to run again."