Wayne King is caring for injuries to his leg and body after being hit by a car in Hampton Park on Saturday night. 20981 By Callan Date
A CRANBOURNE man is nursing a bruised and battered body after a good deed turned into a night of trauma.
Wayne King was driving home to celebrate his daughter’s 16th birthday last Saturday when he noticed a man lying in the middle of South Gippsland Freeway in Hampton Park.
Mr King, 52, swerved to miss the body before pulling his car over and calling emergency services about 8pm.
He soon realised the man was dead and attempted to help out at the scene before police arrived.
But as he was diverting traffic around the body, he was hit by a car.
“There was nothing I could do to save him,” Mr King told the News.
“But I thought, no one deserves to be like this so I started to wave down a lot of the cars to make people slow down and miss running him over.”
Mr King said about five vehicles had stopped on the side of the road. All had their hazard lights on.
“Most drivers slowed down but a few people were still belting through the area.
“I was on my phone to my son telling him I would be late home when I was hit by the car.
“Six inches one way and he would have missed me completely – six inches the other way and there would have been a funeral for me,” he said.
Mr King escaped serious injury but the impact has aggravated an old leg wound.
“Nothing is broken. But I was hit where I have had some skin grafts so they have bandaged it up to stop me from moving the leg.”
Cranbourne Sergeant Jamie Stuart attended the scene on the night.
He said motorists needed to be extra cautious when approaching any sort of collision.
“If you are involved in a collision, stop in a safe location and only approach if it is safe to do so,” Sgt Stuart said.
“Endeavour to render assistance only if it safe for everyone involved.”
He said the man lying on the road had committed suicide.
After being released from Dandenong Hospital on Sunday, Mr King also urged motorists to drive with care.
“Be aware of your surroundings. Cars with hazard lights on indicate something has happened so you should slow down.”
And would he help out again?
“In a heartbeat. Even though the guy was deceased he still commands some respect.”
• Anyone with personal problems can call Lifeline on 131 114.
