Police are investigating after a vehicle was recorded speeding at roughly 70 mph along a trail reserved for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Video of the dangerous incident has gone viral, showing the vehicle racing down Seattle’s bike-and-pedestrian trail beside Interstate 90 on Thursday.
A white car was seen on the restricted pathway at about 1 p.m. Thursday, despite the route normally being closed to motor vehicles. The roughly 10-mile I-90 trail is designed to connect Seattle and Bellevue for people traveling by bike or on foot.
The Washington State Patrol is investigating the incident.
The people who recorded the video said the driver appeared to be traveling at approximately 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.
Multiple people reported the vehicle to the state patrol, but it had left the area before authorities arrived, according to the agency’s account to KOMO News.
Investigators are asking the public to help identify the driver. Authorities said the vehicle did not have a license plate.
“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 crashes or injuries connected to the vehicle have been reported.
People who regularly use the trail said they were stunned by the video and planned to take extra care 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 on Sunday. “If it was a busy day, somebody would’ve gotten hurt.”
Authorities have not determined exactly how the car entered the trail, but Johnson said they were told it likely accessed the pathway on Mercer Island.
The Washington State Department of Transportation has been notified, Johnson said, and is reviewing the trail’s entrances and the barriers intended to keep vehicles out.
“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.
