Motorist smashes into cars before crashing into railway platform

A wayward motorist smashed into three parked vehicles, crossed four lanes of a highway and drove on to railway tracks before crashing to a standstill into railway station platform last night.

The 59-year-old man had been drinking at the Waikanae Hotel before leaving in his car about 7pm.

Bartender Tobias Atkins said the scene was "bloody crazy".

"He reversed, hit a pillar, wrote off one car and that pushed into two others. He screamed down the alleyway between the fish shop and the pub at about 70km/h. There were kids playing out there just minutes before. He could have killed someone. He crossed the highway and through some trees until he got on the railway tracks. He drove along the tracks for about 200m until he hit the side of the platform," he said.

"He told one of the guys here that he had put his foot on the wrong pedal. He hit the accelerator instead of the brake but he drove about 300m before he crashed. Everyone was on their phones ringing the police."

A woman who worked at the pub owned the car he crashed into.

"It is completely written off, she was very upset," Atkins said. He said the man had started frequenting the pub about two weeks ago and was usually quiet and didn't converse with barstaff or patrons. Sergeant Mike George of the Kapiti Mana Police Strategic Traffic Unit said police were called around 7.10pm after reports of a vehicle on railway tracks, about 200m north of the Elizabeth St railway crossing.

When police arrived, the man was still inside the car,

"He now faces one charge of excess breath alcohol. Further charges are likely. It is miraculous that the driver didn't injure himself nor anyone else in the incident, otherwise it would have been a very tragic ending," George said.

The man will appear in the Porirua District Court.