Car rams through fence, becomes wedged on Golden Gate Bridge

A suspected drunk driver rammed through a security gate and became stuck on a sidewalk on the Golden Gate Bridge on Tuesday, authorities said.

The driver, identified as Daniel Soto, 22, of San Francisco, drove from the Marin Headlands toward the bridge, rammed through a metal fence and traveled 400 yards on the sidewalk until his car became wedged between two fences, said Officer Andrew Barclay of the California Highway Patrol.

Soto’s car was lodged between the bridge’s roadway and a fence near the San Francisco Bay. Mid-morning Tuesday, the landmark bridge was closed as the car was removed with a crane, the CHP said.

Barclay said that with all the security measures in place along the Golden Gate Bridge to steer motorists in the right direction, the 5 a.m. crash was “pretty unique.”

But it also could have been worse, he said. Many cyclists use the path to get to work.

“In reality, we were pretty lucky,” Barclay said.

Soto suffered minor injuries when his airbags deployed during the incident. He was taken to an area hospital, where officers discovered he was driving under the influence, Barclay said. Soto was arrested.

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