Man Drives SUV Into San Francisco Subway Tunnel
Jan. 19--An SUV driver who shut down the San Francisco subway system for more than two hours Thursday after the vehicle went onto the underground tracks has been arrested, officials said.
The SUV entered an underground tunnel on Church Street before 6 a.m. and drove approximately two blocks east before getting stuck on the tracks near the Van Ness station, said Paul Rose, a spokesman for Muni Metro.
"There are a number of things to try to prevent this from happening," Rose said, including lighted signs that read "Do not enter" and barriers to prevent entry into the tunnel.
The tracks open each day at 5 a.m., but no trains were running at the time. The subway was closed while crews moved the vehicle to the side of the tunnel and service was restored by 8:35 a.m., he said.
Rose said it was unclear why the driver, whose name had not been released, entered the tunnel. No injuries were reported.
The SUV caused some damage to a switch on the tracks, forcing trains to move slower through the affected area.
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