* by:Andrew Dowdell
* From:Sunday Mail (SA)
* January 28, 2012 10:00pm

WENDY June was excited about beating her personal best time as she gathered for the start of the City to Bay fun run.

Instead, she will never run again after being seriously injured when struck down by a police car.

The mother of five has launched a District Court civil action against the State Government and the police constable who reversed into her as she crossed a cordoned-off King William St as thousands of runners converged on the 2008 fun run.

“People have told me I was flung up in the air and somersaulted – everyone thought that I was dead because I didn’t move at first,” Mrs June said yesterday.

The Mt Gambier woman, 49, said her first memory after regaining consciousness was a feeling of relief at seeing a police car next to her.

“I remember saying `thank goodness the police are here, they’ll be able to find who hit me’ but then people who had come to my aid told me it was actually the police car that ran me over,” she said.

Her statement of claim says the police officer was negligent in that he reversed at “an excessive rate of speed” without “any or due regard for pedestrians”.

Mrs June said she was shocked when paramedics told her they had just 80 minutes to save her right foot from amputation because a fracture and two disclocations had cut blood flow to the area.

After four operations in three days, Royal Adelaide Hospital staff were able to save Mrs June’s foot; however, the injuries have consigned her to a lifetime legacy of pain.

Mrs June, a keen runner and hockey player before the accident, said she still suffered from dizziness and headaches from the severe concussion and had been told she would never run again.

“Now walking is the only thing I can do, but after 20 steps it hurts,” she said.

Mrs June said she was forced to sell her delicatessen when she was unable to endure the workload and is claiming damages for pain and loss of income.

Lawyers for the police officer and State are yet to file a statement of defence.

Article source: www.adelaidenow.com.au