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DISTRACTION NOT ALCOHOL OR SPEED BEHIND CRASH - SHADBOLT
[April 06, 2006]

DISTRACTION NOT ALCOHOL OR SPEED BEHIND CRASH - SHADBOLT


(New Zealand Press Association Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)(pix available at www.nzpaimages.co.nz)

Invercargill, April 6 NZPA - Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt believes a moment of distraction, not alcohol or speeding, caused his car crash last Friday night.

Mr Shadbolt, known throughout New Zealand for his performance on last year's Dancing with the Stars television programme, spoke to media at Southland Hospital today.

The popular politician was in obvious pain and was wearing a back brace.

``Joseph Stalin and the Spanish Inquisition designed this (the brace). I'm in more agony than with the accident,'' he said.

Mr Shadbolt believed the accident happened after his sunglasses case had fallen out of the side pocket of the car door, rolled across the floor and under the brake pedal.

He slowed down and reached to grab the case and as he did, his foot slipped off the brake and on to the accelerator.

``In hindsight _ I should have pulled over and stopped,'' he said.

The car took off, swished from side to side, fishtailed and rolled into a ditch near Winton, ending upside down, he said.

His travelling companion unbuckled him and he ended up lying on top of an electric fence, getting shocks every few seconds.

However, it seemed like no time at all before the emergency services were at the scene and Mr Shadbolt thanked them and the Southland hospital staff for their care and for all the cards and wishes from the public.

``There are a lot of stories about me being drunk _ or I could have hit a calf _ or the front suspension went out.

``The police have it in hand and are checking up on things.

``I could be wrong about the glasses case, it might be a coincidence.''

However, he was not drinking and driving, he said.

Mr Shadbolt and his two passengers, artist Phil Newbury and student Matt Brophy, had driven to Queenstown on Friday afternoon to meet producer Murray Francis to look at how Southland could be involved in the big-budget Roland Emmerich film, 10,000BC.



However, the meeting got cancelled and the two were disappointed. They were not paid staff and it was a long journey home.

``I rely on volunteers to help me with a lot of projects _ the boys wanted a couple of beers. I thought it would be mean-spirited to say you are not allowed a drink.


``I certainly didn't join them,'' he said.

``I don't drive round with passengers boozing in the mayoral car.''

He believed he had slowed down to about 70kmh but when his foot slipped, the car took off.

The accident has come as a shock as Mr Shadbolt has been driving for 45 years and has not had one accident.

``It's one area of my life I'm quite proud of.''

He has had a lot of time to think about things this week and said apart from redesigning the brace to make it more high-tech and modern, he planned to be a bit more cautious on things.

``It makes you think _ death by distraction.''

Dr David Whitehead said Mr Shadbolt had been very lucky.

He had two burst or unstable fractures in the thoracic area of his vertebrae -- the middle of the shoulder blades -- and they had the potential to move.

If the fractures had moved, they could have damaged the spinal cord and Mr Shadbolt could have been paralysed from the neck down, Dr Whitehead said.

The brace, which was cumbersome and had to be worn at all times, would stop any movement and Mr Shadbolt would be in it for at least six weeks and possibly up to three months.

Damage to vertebrae was common in motor vehicle accidents but the burst fractures were at the more severe end of the scale, he said.

The bruising to Mr Shadbolt's lung and right kidney was healing without any special treatment.

Mr Shadbolt was to be discharged from hospital today.

Invercargill City Council chief executive Richard King said he did not know when the mayor would be back at work.

``But knowing Tim, it won't be long.''

NZPA WGT van kk hl

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