Stop for pedestrian leads to car pile-up

DAMAGED: This car came off badly when it rear-ended another vehicle at a Featherston pedestrian crossing. PHOTO/ANDREW BONALLACK

Doing the right thing for an elderly Featherston pedestrian resulted in a thump on the rear for a Wellington van driver.

Builder Bradley Scott was passing through Featherston on Saturday to collect his wife and children from the train station when he was rear-ended at the Fitzherbert St pedestrian crossing just after 11am.

Mr Scott had pulled up his van to let an elderly woman cross at the Fitzherbert St crossing, near SuperValue.

A car pulled up behind him, but a third car crashed into the second, jerking Mr Scott's van forward and almost hitting the woman, he said.

"I was really lucky I hadn't hit her," he said.

The offending car, a Subaru Impreza, was badly damaged at the front, while Mr Scott's van and the second car received minor damage.

Featherston fire volunteers attended the scene but departed shortly afterwards, leaving police to take statements.

Wellington Free Ambulance attended but no one was injured.

Mr Scott was not happy, having only just bought the van for his company.

"I just picked this up a week ago," he said. "I was just coming over for the day, have a day out with the wife and kids."