An eastern Sydney beachside street where a skateboarder was critically injured in a suspected a hit-and-run is notorious for cars “hurtling” up and down it, says a resident.
A 26-year-old man was discovered lying in the middle of St Thomas Street in Bronte by a passing motorist in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Police believe the man was skateboarding when he was hit by a car.
He was treated at the scene by paramedics and rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition with head injuries.
A crime scene was still in place on Wednesday on the steep stretch of road where the skateboarder was found.
Nearby resident Antonia Stocken said she heard someone tooting their horn just before 2am.
“There was a couple of ambulances and police,” she said.
“The police were coming down and asking people if they had seen or heard anything but no one had seen anything that I am aware of.”
Ms Stocken said cars speed up and down the road, especially in the early morning.
“Generally, it’s busy,” she said.
“Certainly in the early hours of the morning before 7am … cars can really hurtle up and down here really fast.”
About 30 minutes after the skateboarder was found unconscious, police stopped a white Daihatsu car on the Pacific Highway at Chatswood, in Sydney’s north.
The 36-year-old driver was arrested after drugs were allegedly found in his car.
He is now being questioned at Chatswood Police Station over the Bronte incident.
Ms Stocken said she was shocked to hear what happened to the skateboarder.
“No one wants to be woken up and come out of their house to see someone has been (in a) hit-and-run,” she said.