Biker reveals moments before horrific crash

HELEN MURDOCH/The Press

SMASH VICTIM: biker Brent Russell in hospital after Saturday's accident/

NELSON MAIL

INVESTIGATING: police crash analyst Simon Burbury at the crash scene on Saturday.

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Brent Russell saw the police patrol car in his path as he straightened his motorbike out of a Buller Gorge corner.

"I can remember thinking `what the hell do I do here?' " said Russell from a Nelson Hospital bed yesterday.

Unable to brake, Russell's $32,000 Italian bike hit the patrol car's front wheel, catapulting him over the bonnet and 10m down the road. He landed on the grass verge, breaking his pelvis, smashing his right arm and ripping the end off his right thumb.

Russell, from Lower Hutt, fared better than his Wellington friend, Marty Collins, who he was riding with at the time. Collins smashed both arms and broke his pelvis. He is in Wellington Hospital's intensive care unit.

Police said the accident on Saturday afternoon happened when a patrol car turned to pursue a speeding motorcyclist.

Russell said yesterday police needed to address the safety aspects of their pursuit policy. He queried the logic of an officer doing a three-point turn on the narrow road to pursue a vehicle speeding.

Besides their serious injuries, the crash wrote off his 2007 Benelli 900 motorcycle and Collins' 2005 Ducati 999, as well as damaging the new highway patrol vehicle.

The police officer involved in the incident has been placed on sick leave.

The crash abruptly ended 57-year-old Russell's 14th trip around the South Island.

The annual tour, with a group of friends, acquaintances and relatives, usually takes four to five days to ride, from Picton to the Catlins and back.

"We come down for the freedom, the hospitality, the beauty of the country and the camaraderie."

This time, the group had headed for the West Coast, stopping at Murchison before travelling through the Buller Gorge.

Russell said the group was not bunched, and he and Collins were cruising between 90kmh and 95kmh. However, the day came to a crashing end about 8km down the gorge.

When his tumbling body finally came to a stop, Russell checked himself before taking off his helmet and gloves, not noticing the end of his right thumb was missing.

"The police officer came over and asked me if I was OK, and I asked him what the hell he was doing parked in the middle of the road," said Russell.

"His response to me was that we were speeding."

Russell had not had an apology from the police, who took a statement from him on Saturday when he was in intensive care.

A self-employed builder-electrician without income insurance, Russell would like to discuss financial compensation with the police to help support his family over the next six months while he recovered.

Tasman police district commander Superintendent Grant O'Fee said the Police Complaints Authority was overseeing a serious crash investigation, which could take two weeks or more to complete.

"We will wait and see what we have from that before we make a decision as to if charges will, or will not, be laid against parties," he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News