One taken to hospital after a car crashed through Thai Express restaurant in central Whanganui

A car crashed through the front of the Thai Express restaurant on Friday morning. Photo / Bevan Conley

An accident in which a car was driven into the Thai Express restaurant in central Whanganui resulted in moderate injuries to the driver.

A St John representative said the person was taken by ambulance to Whanganui Hospital.

Police Constable Stu Bourne said the driver of the car, an elderly man, extended his thanks to a young married couple who were the first to arrive at the scene and helped him.

Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and St John were called to Victoria Ave, between Guyton and Ingestre streets, at about 10.45am on Friday.

Sapphyer Edwardson was working in the Q Variety Store across the street from the restaurant when the incident took place.

"We just looked over and we saw that little car fly straight up the kerb, smack the pole out and glass just flew everywhere," Edwardson said.

"I called the police straight away and the fire, police and ambulance just came now."

Photo / Bevan Conley

Bourne said he didn't think there was anything that could have been done to avoid the accident.

"I think what he's done is he's come in to park and something's obviously happened and he's gone straight through."

Police were in the early stages of an investigation into the incident, Bourne said.

Victoria Ave was blocked off from the Ingestre St intersection while fire crews cleaned up the site of the crash.

A police representative said police left the scene at 12.20pm.