Head impaled on fence in accident, Dunedin woman talks about recovery

It’s been 30 years since Mel Marshall’s head was impaled on a fence.
She knows all too well the lasting impacts a crash can have: the consequences affect her life every day.

On June 17, 1990, Marshall (now 48 years old) was in a single vehicle accident on Three Mile Hill Rd in which another passenger was killed. Marshall was thrown 33 m from the car, which was traveling at about 100 mph, after hitting a power pole.

He spent five months in Dunedin Hospital and six months in the Rehabilitation Ward of Wakari Hospital.

This was followed by more than a year of daily visits to the Wakari hospital.

And pain, a lot of pain.

Now, every day is an effort to keep moving forward, figuratively and literally.

His injuries affected his walking and speech.

She swims and has physical therapy every week.

“I had to learn everything all over again,” he said.

“The pain was just … I’m much better, but it’s still there.”

There was also pain, for the parts of his life that he could no longer carry. And he lost some friends he had at the time of the accident.

Her mother, Robyn Dick, said that sometimes during her rehab her daughter worked so hard she went into shock.

“She just wanted to move on.”

The accident did not affect only Marshall, his parents, family and friends were involved.

Marshall is frustrated by road safety messages that don’t reach people.

“Speeding kills.”

Brain Injury Otago Liaison Officer Cathy Matthews said many young people did not think about the ripple effect of an accident.

“They don’t understand that this could happen to them and their family,” he said.