Kiwi woman critical after being struck by crane

A New Zealand woman is in a critical condition in a Brisbane hospital after being struck by a two-tonne crane.

However Iuliana Stevenson, 27, has started responding to people around her, family say.

She suffered a bad head injury, a broken left arm and shoulder blade, her skull may be fractured and she has broken bones in her neck.

The former Christchurch woman was struck by the mobile crane at an intersection early yesterday as she was walking home from a train station.

As she begins to cross the road, a pettibone - used for laying railway track - stops at a red traffic light, CCTV footage shows.

But as she begins to walk, the massive machine begins to turn left into her path and hits her.

The driver stops for about 12 seconds but then leaves the scene.

A man, 58, later went to a police station for questioning.

Stevenson's brother Adam told TVNZ that she had started responding by squeezing her mother's hand.

He hoped she would make a 100 per cent recovery, but "it's never going to be same after getting hit like that".

"We'll just have to wait and see, and hopefully get some good news," he said.

"She's pretty outgoing, fun-loving, if she's going out for a drink everyone would want to go."

The vehicle involved in the incident belonged to Queensland Rail.

Chief executive Nick Easy called what happened "a tragic accident".

"Queensland Rail is doing everything possible to assist emergency services with their inquiries," he said.