Police were called to a crash in Fryatt St, near Cresswell St, in the Dunedin wharf area about 4.15pm, a police spokeswoman said.
There were reports a kart was being driven in the street before the crash, she said.
No other information was available yesterday. A witness said he saw a kart leaving skid marks on the road as it was raced up and down the harbourside street.
"I was just around the road there and I heard all these noises and there was a go-kart doing doughnuts on the road," the man said.
About five minutes later the man heard a loud noise in the street and noticed the kart had crashed into the back of a parked car.
It looked like it was controlled by a hand-held device, he said.
A St John spokeswoman said the man was in Dunedin Hospital with moderate injuries.
