SEATTLE, USA – A 70-year-old American woman accidentally drove her SUV onto an elevated light rail track in Seattle after reportedly following GPS directions, forcing train services to be suspended for nearly two hours. The woman, who was driving a Mazda CX-5 with Utah license plates, traveled approximately a quarter of a mile along the tracks before coming to a stop near the Mount Baker Station. The incident occurred at around 6:20 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, leaving commuters and onlookers stunned. Videos widely shared on social media showed the SUV attempting to navigate the rail line as if it were a roadway.
As a result, operators temporarily shut down Seattle’s light rail Line 1 while emergency crews worked to remove the vehicle safely. Power to the tracks was disconnected before recovery teams lifted the SUV from the elevated section. In a statement, Sound Transit said incidents involving vehicles on elevated rail tracks are extremely rare and required service to be halted while crews ensured the infrastructure was safe before trains resumed operation.
Authorities are still investigating how the driver managed to enter the rail corridor. Local reports suggest she may have mistakenly accessed the tracks from a street-level section near Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Walden Street, about half a mile south of the station. According to Seattle police spokesperson Patrick Michaud, the driver did not appear to be intoxicated. However, officers noted that she took an unusually long time to answer questions and appeared confused during the investigation. Police have not confirmed whether the woman will face any citations or charges related to the incident.
