DUI Suspect Jumps Railing, Gets Mustang Wedged On Golden Gate Bridge Sidewalk
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — A Ford Mustang driving south on the Golden Gate Bridge became wedged on the span's pedestrian sidewalk early Tuesday after crashing during Tuesday's morning storm.
The California Highway Patrol received a report that a low-profile Mustang, heading southbound into San Francisco had entered the pedestrian onramp at high rate of speed leading to the west sidewalk, across from Vista Point, at about 5:10 a.m.
"The driver came down through the parking lot at this incredibly fast rate of speed, got up onto the sidewalk, managed to crash through one barrier and then through a steel gate, go another 400 yards or so before getting himself wedged between the sidewalk rail and a median on the other side," Bridge District spokeswoman Priya Clemens told KCBS.
The driver was identified as Daniel Soto, 22, of San Francisco. He was transported to a hospital with minor injuries and arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. No one else was injured.
"This has never happened on the Golden Gate Bridge before," Clemens said.
According to photos on his Facebook page, Daniel Soto enjoys driving his Mustang around the Bridge. He works at the Stonestown Galleria Apple Store where, we are told, he is well liked and wants to be a police officer. That may be difficult now. Sources tell KPIX 5 he blew a .12, one and a half times the legal limit.
About 10:15 a.m., bridge crews closed the span entirely so they could bring a small crane to lift the blue-colored Mustang off sidewalk and on to a tow truck.
"The driver really gave our crew engineers some work to do today," Clemens said. "We waited for the commute traffic to die down this morning and then our teams just swung into action."
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