About Us

It was a Sunday night around 8.30pm and Melz was driving home on her moped after a shift at work. As she drove through Wellington city on Adelaide Road, a speeding car on the opposite side of the road right-turned onto a side street without slowing down or looking – ploughing straight through Melz. The driver did not slow down or stop but sped away. The only warning Melz had was seeing the lights of the car turning into her before she felt herself spinning.

The result of this impact was instant and dramatic, as Melz recalls:

“I was thrown from my moped and flipped through the air several times, narrowly missing a concrete corner retaining wall, before landing hard and rolling along the footpath.”

Melz’s moped was written off, with the seat and entire side ripped off. Somehow, Melz found herself conscious and alert after landing, rolling and finally coming to a stop on the pavement.

The kindness of strangers and the care of paramedics

Melz remembers taking off her helmet and gingerly testing all her limbs. At this point, several strangers from the cars behind her came to check on her. Having shared her story to a local Facebook group, these people who witnessed the incident and rushed to Melz’s aid told her later that when they saw her go flying, they ‘thought the worst’.

“One found a blanket, and someone called the ambulance for me. They were all very kind – comforting me and expressing their disbelief and anger at the hit and run”, Melz says.

“I was feeling very sore but intact and able to move everything, thankfully. I was in shock though, so was shaking pretty badly, teeth chattering uncontrollably as I tried to answer their questions.

“The paramedics got me into the ambulance and were really lovely. They explained the shock, and that the adrenaline was masking how sore I actually was. They gave me some pain meds and helped me get out of my jeans to assess my injuries. I had taken the impact on the right side of my right leg – the side in line with the side of my moped that was hit. Had I been on a motorbike rather than a step-through (with my legs in front of me), I’m certain I would have lost a leg. 

“The paramedics were wonderful at putting me at ease and calming me down. Some of my sore spots were of concern for fractures to the femur or trauma to the knee so they took me to Wellington Hospital for further assessment and x-rays. I had other impact marks, presumably from where I landed, but it was the leg that was of most concern.”

Getting back on her feet

Melz stayed in A&E for the night where, thankfully, all the x-rays came back clear. However, she was badly cut up and her leg was absolutely black and blue. Due to her injuries and the ongoing pain she was in, Melz was prescribed heavy painkillers which meant she couldn’t work and had trouble walking (and doing anything else) for several weeks.

Incredibly, Melz sustained no lasting damage beyond a few scars – which is more than can be said for her moped, the pieces of which her flatmate picked up off the road the next day.

Because of the nature of the incident, the police were informed. Although witnesses had gotten the car’s rego and police were able to track down the driver (who was already disqualified from driving) and find the smashed-up car, the driver denied responsibility and the case was closed.

Melz reflects that “I’m still upset about this. No one faced justice for this reckless incident that could easily have killed me, or for failing to stop and help me. They may very well do this again. I lost my vehicle and several weeks of work that I couldn't afford.”

“I reflected a lot on how incredibly lucky we are to have them”

A few weeks after her discharge, Melz received a letter from us - our patient feedback survey that provides an opportunity for patients to share their experience with us.

“I reflected a lot on how incredibly lucky we are to have them. In America, the emergency care I received could easily have been $30,000 or more and given that justice was not gained, that would have all fallen on me and would have ruined me. All because of someone else's recklessness. Wellington Free Ambulance is an absolute blessing, and I am beyond grateful that we have them. I hope they can secure the funding they need to continue offering this life-saving service.”

If you’d like to help us be there for anyone who needs us in Greater Wellington and the Wairarapa, like Melz, you can donate online.