A car was caught on video driving fast down the I-90 Trail, passing cyclists and pedestrians as it crossed the floating bridge over Lake Washington, and now the Washington State Patrol is investigating how it got there. The footage, which shows the vehicle squeezing between the trail's railings before speeding along the path, first surfaced on Reddit and later circulated in a second clip posted to Instagram.
According to MyNorthwest, the Washington State Patrol is leading the investigation into the incident, which involves a 10-mile paved trail that starts near Sturgus Park in Rainier Valley at 12th Ave. S and ends in Factoria, Bellevue. The trail follows I-90 across Lake Washington and is meant for bicyclists and pedestrians only, not motor vehicles. Content editor Julia Dallas reported that the video shows the car driving fast and passing trail traffic as it crossed the floating span.
The Washington State Department of Transportation says it is aware of the incident and the videos posted online, and that the agency prioritizes safety on the corridor. Per WSDOT, the agency will learn what the investigation finds, and those findings will inform any potential mitigations the department considers for the trail.
What Washington Law Says About Cars on Trails
Driving a motor vehicle onto a sidewalk or sidewalk area is illegal under Washington state law, according to Justia Law. A reckless driving conviction is a gross misdemeanor in Washington, according to the same source. Washington also strengthened protections for people outside of vehicles under House Bill 1112, which established enhanced legal classifications and penalties for driver negligence that endangers vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and bicyclists, per the Swerve article.
Not the First Car Spotted on a Regional Trail
This isn't the first time an unauthorized vehicle has ended up on a major King County trail. In May, Lake Forest Park police apprehended two underage suspects after they drove a stolen car onto Seattle's Burke-Gilman Trail near Northeast 153rd Street following an embankment crash, according to the LFP Town Crier. That same reporting also mentioned physical bollards on Seattle-area trails.
The I-90 Trail is also discussed in the article.
A Corridor Already Under Scrutiny
The I-90 floating bridge corridor has drawn added attention this year as a hub of overlapping transportation activity. Sound Transit officially launched its 2 Line light rail service across the bridge in March, completing the first light rail corridor built over a floating span alongside highway lanes and the trail, according to a statement highlighted by the U.S. Senate. Just weeks ago, Hoodline reported that state agencies and Sound Transit investigated stray electrical currents from cathodic protection systems on the floating bridge after divers discovered localized fish die-offs in Lake Washington near the structure.
The corridor has also seen other vehicle mishaps this year. Last month, someone drove a silver pickup into Lake Washington and swam away. Separately, the article mentions the Washington State Patrol.
For now, the article does not provide further details about the I-90 Trail incident. WSDOT has indicated only that the investigation's findings will inform whatever mitigations the agency ultimately considers for the trail.
