Highton grandmother Christine Annett hit by car twice in a year

A Highton grandmother thought she was unlucky to be struck by a SUV while on her morning walk in 2018. But less than 12 months later, she was hit by a car again.

Christine Annett thought she was unlucky to be hit by a car once in her life, let alone twice in less than 12 months.

The grandmother of eight from Highton said she just happened to be in the “wrong place at the wrong time” when the accidents happened, leaving her with significant injuries and years of trauma.

She is sharing her story as part of a new Addy series to stop the carnage on Geelong’s roads ahead of the busy Christmas and summer season.

But Mrs Annett was one of the lucky ones.

This year alone, 12 people have died on our roads in Greater Geelong, Surf Coast and Golden Plains.

Transport Accident Commission head of road safety Samantha Cockfield said: “Road trauma is not only devastating for loved ones but it can also have a long-lasting effect on first responders who in our regional towns often have a personal connection with the victim.”

About 7.30am on September 7, 2018, Ms Annett set off for her usual morning walk around the leafy suburb of Highton.

The now-77-year-old was about to cross Patern St, just 1km away from her home.

She looked left and right then started to cross but a car, travelling at about 20km/h, turned the corner and hit her from behind.

“I was thrown into the air and I said to myself as I came down ‘this is not going to end up well for me’ and I was right,” Mrs Annett said.

“I hit the road very heavily, straight on my back.”

Christine Annett at her home in Highton. Picture: Brad Fleet

Paramedics were called and Mrs Annett was rushed to the emergency department and spent several nights in Geelong hospital.

Her husband John, who was working as a school crossing supervisor at a nearby primary school, saw the ambulance at the scene but didn’t think it was his wife who had been injured.

“Normally I’d be there when he was home but I wasn’t there,” Mrs Annett said.

“He was quite shaken up too.”

She suffered a large gash on the back of her head, which was heavily bleeding, and cuts on her arms.

Two weeks after the accident, a CT scan showed she had also fractured sacrum.

“I had to recover very slowly,” she said.

But nine months later on June 27, 2019, Mrs Annett was again hit by a sedan on her morning walk while house-sitting in Kyneton in central Victoria.

Mrs Annett said the second accident was more severe as she tore her ACL and the medial ligament on her left leg.

She suffered blood clots in her leg and serious bruising.

As an active person, who regularly does yoga, jogs and rides her bike, the injuries impacted both her physical and mental health “horribly”.

“It was a huge thing for me because I was off my feet for weeks,” Mrs Annett said.

Severe bruising from Christine Annett's second accident. Picture: Supplied

From January to May this year in Greater Geelong, 12 pedestrians were taken to hospital and made claims to the TAC after being hit by a car.

In the last five years, 175 pedestrians have been killed on Victoria roads.

Pedestrians make up about 15 per cent of the total number of road deaths each year and more than a third are aged over 70.

Mrs Annett said the accidents made her extremely nervous around roads.

She suffered “huge anxiety” which took years to overcome but still worries when crossing the road.

“I’ll wait until there are no cars coming before I cross now,” she said.

“If it’s a wet day and I can hear the tyres on the wet road, that still scares me.”

But Mrs Annett has pushed through her trauma and is back to her daily walks and yoga practices.

Last month, she won her age category in the 3km race at Run4Geelong.

Ahead of the busy festive season, Mrs Annett urged drivers and pedestrians to be extra vigilant.

“You have to have eyes at the back of your head,” she said.

“You don’t know who has been drinking or taking drugs on our roads.

“It’s best to slow down and get there a little later than to have an accident.”

The next part of the Addy road safety Christmas series will be released this week.

Originally published as Highton grandmother Christine Annett hit by car twice in a year