Christchurch endurance athlete Steve Gurney has pleaded guilty to careless use of a motor vehicle over a collision with a passenger train in September.
The nine-time winner of the Coast to Coast multisport race was driving his car over a rural railway crossing in Rangiora when he was hit.
He was not seriously injured in the crash.
Mr Gurney entered his plea via a letter and will next appear at Rangiora District Court on 25 January.
He says he hopes he will be given diversion.
Mr Gurney says along with the guilty plea, which sent in letter form, he included several research-based recommendations about how train crossings can be made safer.
