Partner accused after woman run over

Police forensic teams search an area of road where a 17-year-old woman suffered severe injuries. Photo/Stephen Parker.

A teenage mother fighting for her life after she was hit by a car allegedly driven by her partner suffered two punctured lungs, a broken leg and a fractured neck, her sister says.

The young woman, 17, also had to have her spleen removed after she was run over on State Highway 33 in Whangamarino, northeast of Rotorua on Saturday. Her 19-year-old partner, was to appear in the Rotorua District Court today charged with driving with excess breath-alcohol, careless driving causing injury and driving while suspended.

The teen's sister told 3News the incident happened at her 20th birthday party.

The sister said the girl had her spleen removed at hospital and suffered two punctured lungs, a broken leg and a fractured neck in the incident.

A Waikato Hospital spokeswoman said the teen was still in a critical condition in intensive care last night.

Police have asked anyone who heard raised voices or a disturbance in the area to come forward. A witness reportedly heard shouting and said a young woman had been walking away from an argument with the driver when she was run over.

Family and friends visited the crash scene yesterday.

Police have interviewed witnesses but said they wanted to speak to anyone travelling on SH33 between 3am and 3.30am near the Whangamarino School.

Later Saturday morning a pedestrian, 16, was struck by a bus carrying overseas tourists on Old Taupo Rd. He is in a critical condition in intensive care at Waikato Hospital. Police said he suffered serious head injuries. APNZ