A man drink-driving along the Taylor River walkway, where cars are not allowed, drove over another man's leg.

A former television star was four times the legal limit when he drove along a riverside path for pedestrians and over a man's leg.

The man, who has interim name suppression, was drinking in his car while parked illegally on the riverbank beside the Taylor River, in Blenheim, on November 19.

He walked to McDonald's and returned with some food.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF The entrance to the Taylor River reserve, from the end of Stuart St.

As he was driving back along the river reserve, towards the Stuart St car park, he ran over the leg of a man sitting on the riverbank.

The driver slowed down and looked over his shoulder at the man, who was lying on the ground, and then drove away.

Police found him parked about 50 metres away. He appeared to be drunk, so they took him back to the station for a blood test.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF The Stuart St car park, leading onto the Taylor River reserve.

He gave a blood test result of 204mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal limit is 50mg.

The man initially admitted drinking alcohol but when questioned later denied it.

Police initially charged him with careless driving causing injury and drink-driving causing injury.

But police prosecutor Mark Harris withdrew the careless driving charge and amended the drink-driving causing injury charge to a drink-driving charge.

"Inquiries showed the injury was trifling," Harris said at the Blenheim District Court on Monday.

The man pleaded guilty to the amended charge, and also admitted drink-driving and careless driving causing injury in relation to a crash near Nelson.

The man was driving from Nelson to Blenheim 10 days after the riverside incident when he swerved over the centre line.

He was driving through unsealed roadworks with a 50kmh speed limit at Whangamoa on State Highway 6, about 8.45pm on November 29.

The man lost control on a moderate right bend and slid into the path of an oncoming truck and trailer unit.

His car hit the trailer and rebounded back into his lane, hitting a wire rope barrier and sliding along it until it came to a stop.

The car had "massive front-end damage", the summary said.

Both the man and the truck driver were injured and taken to Nelson Hospital.

The man gave a blood test result of 227mg.

In court, the man's lawyer Rob Harrison provided Judge Stephen Harrop with letters about the man's background, asking for interim name suppression.

The man had appeared regularly on New Zealand television until about 10 years ago.

Judge Harrop granted the suppression order, to be reviewed at his sentencing on March 12.

Judge Harrop also ordered an alcohol and drug report.

The man was convicted and remanded on bail, with a condition not to drive, and for his home to be assessed for home or community detention.