A driver who hit a pedestrian on a footpath in Adelaide says he had nowhere else to go and the man's injuries were self-inflicted.
The man had been running to cross the road and get out of the vehicle's way, and after hitting the pedestrian it crashed into an auto accessories shop, 9News reports.
The 38-year-old pedestrian fell unconscious and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening leg injuries after the crash, which was caught on video.
The driver, 53-year-old Julian Fry, spoke to 9News outside court where he is charged with driving without due care, saying he tried to avoid the pedestrian.
"I had nowhere else to go. I had a tree in front of me and a pedestrian running in front of me - it's a driver's worst nightmare," Mr Fry said.
"He was very lucky that that did not come out much worse for either of us."
The magistrate told the driver he was lucky not to be charged with the more serious, aggravated offence, which attracted a possible jail term.
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