Pictured: Gruesome injuries suffered by cyclist who had to have his face pieced together with 43 screws after face-planting on a dodgy footpath
- A New Zealand man spent eight hours in an operating room due to bike accident
- Neville Carpenter's bike hit a dodgy path, sending him flying over handlebars
- He suffered a fractured nose, jaw, eye sockets and both cheeks from the incident
A New Zealand man has suffered horrific facial injuries after falling from his bike due to a faulty bike path.
Neville Carpenter had been cycling with his mate when his front wheel hit a gap in the concrete path near Great North Rd at Waterview in Auckland, on New Zealand's North Island, on Sunday.
The cyclist was tossed over his handlebars and onto the hard surface, with his face taking the brunt of the damage.
Neville Carpenter had been cycling with his mate when his front wheel hit a gap in the concrete path. he was tossed over the handlebars with his face smashing into the concrete
Mr Carpenter was left bloodied, with a fractured nose, jaw, eye sockets and both cheeks. He spent about eight hours in the operating room getting his face put back together
He was left bloodied, with a fractured nose, jaw, eye sockets and both cheeks.
Mr Carpenter was rushed to Middlemore Hospital for surgery.
It took eight hours in the operating room, 43 screws and several surgical plates to put his face back together. His jaw also had to be wired shut.
Mr Carpenter told NZME he had been travelling about 20km/h when he made contact with the narrow but wide gap in the path.
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'I recall there being people walking. I had dropped behind Chris for a few seconds while they went past. I moved out to go alongside him again and saw a crack in the concrete. I hit it and it was too late.
'It was like slow-mo - I went straight over the handlebars and face-planted. I didn't have time to put my hands out,' he said.
Auckland Transport, the organisation responsible for the pathway, was notified of the issue with the pathway on February 11.
Auckland Transport, the organisation responsible for the pathway, was notified of the issue with the pathway on February 11
A statement from Auckland Transport Spokesman Mark Hannan said: 'This path was built as part of the Waterview Tunnel project.
'This work was done by the Well Connected Alliance contracted by NZTA.
'Part of the footpath has moved which has caused gaps, this isn't acceptable and should never have happened.
'Auckland Transport has made the path safe until permanent repairs can be made. We are talking to NZTA about the standard of the work.
'We apologise to Mr Carpenter, we should have moved faster to make it safe.'
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