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The driver of a vehicle barreling through a bike and pedestrian trail at about 70 mph is now under investigation by police.
A video showing the dangerous act is going viral, showing the vehicle speeding along a Seattle bike and pedestrian trail along I-90 on Thursday.
A white car driving on the confined path, usually inaccessible to vehicles, was spotted around 1p.m. on Thursday. The path is about 10 miles long, part of the I-90 trail, and it’s meant to connect Seattle with Bellevue for bikers and pedestrians.
The Washington State Patrol is now investigating the incident.
The videographers says that the driver was going about 70 mph.
“I had no idea how the car even got on there, and I was pretty spooked because I run it often,” Alexa King, a runner told KOMO News.
Several people reported the incident to the state’s patrol, but the car was gone by the time crews got there, according to the agency’s account to KOMO News.
Investigators are now asking people for help in identifying the driver, seeing as the vehicle didn’t have license plate, according to the state patrol.
“There are a lot of people with dash cameras, or maybe someone saw this vehicle exiting the bike path area and didn’t think anything of it,” Trooper Rick Johnson told KOMO.
No injuries or crashes involving the car were reported.
Locals that use the trail expressed shock over the viral video and added that they would be more careful when crossing the bridge.
“I’ve taken kids across it; we’ve run across it, and then we’ve biked across it a lot too,” Darrell Lee told KOMO Sunday. “If it was a busy day, somebody would’ve gotten hurt.”
There’s still not a clear understanding on how the car got to the path, but Johnson said that authorities informed him it likely happened on Mercer Island.
The Washington State Department of Transportation was told about the incident, according to Johnson, and they are now investigating the path’s entrances and barriers in place to prevent traffic.
“I’ve never seen this before,” Johnson told KOMO. “Even if you’re not from the area, I think it should be pretty, pretty evident that [the trail] is not a place for vehicles.”
The white car’s driver is expected to face charges for reckless driving if they are identified.
Anyone with useful information is encouraged to contact the Washington State Patrol’s non-emergency phone number: (425) 401-7788.
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