A car has smashed through the front of the Thai Express restaurant in central Whanganui.

Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and St John were called to Victoria Ave, between Guyton and Ingestre streets, about 10.45am on Friday after a vehicle drove into the restaurant.

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

Police Constable Stu 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.