According to his sister, a teenager from Whakatāne “broke every bone in his body” and is lucky to be alive after being struck by two cars while crossing the street late at night.
Sapphire Patuwai, 23, told the Bay of Plenty Times that her brother Raphael Patuwai, 18, had “severe” injuries and needed to be airlifted from Whakatāne Hospital to Waikato Hospital on Sunday.
She claimed that he had undergone “multiple” leg surgery and that there will be more.
“They still need to fix his back and arms. He’s lost all air in his lungs. His right kidney has been lost. He’s on dialysis because the one he has left isn’t functioning properly.
She said that medical professionals informed her family. “Every bone in his body—all 206 of them—broke,” according to Raphael.
He’s definitely one tough guy, which is shocking. The fact that he lived through everything is simply evidence of who he is.
The male was found on White Pine Bush Rd/State Highway 2 with critical injuries just after midnight on Sunday, according to prior information provided by police to the Herald. The Whakatāne township located to the south of the rural area.
He was struck by “at least two vehicles,” according to the police. Police are looking for the driver of another car, described as a blue SUV, and the driver of one was helping them with their inquiries.
“But in the end, if you strike someone, you stay there until assistance arrives.”
According to Sapphire, Raphael was sober when he was discovered.
“They found no alcohol in his system, indicating that he was sober and conscious.”
Raphael anticipates being in the hospital for weeks.
Sapphire described the events of that evening as “a bit vague.”
“I only recall thinking that my brother was the one hammering on the door when I woke up [at] 4:30 in the morning. When I opened it, the cops were there.
But from what I gather, someone saw him crossing the street in the center of the road. He had already been hit by the time the police arrived.
“The
