Tira August, mother of hit-and-run victim James August, wants the person who hit her son to come forward. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
KAREN COLTMAN
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Carterton hit-and-run victim James August is off life support and out of his coma. He is talking and eating.
James’ injuries are mainly to the front of his body where he has many broken bones. He has fractured ribs and broken pelvis bones. Both kneecaps are “smashed” and have steel plates in them.
He has undergone many operations in Wellington Hospital and is unable to walk at this point.
“James was hit by a vehicle to the front of his body,” his sister Hope August said on Wednesday. “Fortunately, his head is okay. But he is foggy right now and can’t remember the accident. He is trying to come to grips with what happened.
“He’s a fighter though and is eating and talking.”
His mother, father, and other family including Petone-based relatives have a visiting roster set up for him.
His mother Tira August asked that the person who hit her son come forward.
“We need closure, any mother would feel the need for this,” Tira said.
“It is the right thing to do. The family is focused on the healing and we need to get passed this, but we would like to know how it happened.”
There was no animosity attached to her plea, she said.
James was hit by a vehicle between 1am and 2am on Friday, May 22, in a 50kmh residential zone in Carterton with street lighting. He was thought to have been walking home from the Carterton township to the Taratahi Hotel where he lived.
The family said James will be in rehabilitation for a long time and for many months will need to be immobile so his bones can “knit together”.
His mother and sister expressed gratitude to Wairarapa Police, the Wellington Free Ambulance service and his employer Brolly Logging, “who have been very supportive to us during this time”.
Detective Senior Sergeant Barry Bysouth held a briefing with his investigation team on Wednesday.
He has several staff working on the case and has “various leads”.
“We do have some forensic leads that we are following up,” Bysouth said.
Police are looking for witnesses and are running an item on the television programme Police Ten 7 next week.
- Anyone with information can contact police by phoning 105 or anonymously on Crimestoppers 0800 555111.
