Woman drives car across Ocean Beach and into the surf
A surfer inspects the car a woman drove into the water at Ocean Beach Friday. Photo: Tom Prete / Ocean Beach Bulletin
UPDATE 11:30 a.m. Feb. 11: A car driven into the water at Ocean Beach Friday morning was removed Friday afternoon. A Golden Gate National Recreation Area representative said the Courtesy Tow company removed the car from the beach at 2 p.m.
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A woman drove her Lexus sedan down Stairwell 25 near Golden Gate Park, across the sand and into the surf at Ocean Beach Friday morning.
Sgt. Scott Huther of the U.S. Park Police said officials first received a report of the incident at 6:23 a.m. No one was injured, but the driver was detained and taken to San Francisco General Hospital for psychiatric evaluation, he said.
Huther said he wasn’t sure how the car would be removed from the beach, or who would have to pay for it.
Such questions didn’t seem to concern the beachgoers who stopped to snap photos or just take in the sight of the waves and incoming tide jostling the abandoned four-door, dark gray car.
Local resident Joe Spataro drove down to the beach to see the car for himself after hearing about it on television, he said. Spataro said he’s seen some unusual things on the beach, but “not this weird.”
Spataro speculated that the driver must have been “either drunk, mentally unstable or really, really pissed off at her husband or boyfriend.”
“I might be back, because it’s going to be a while” before the car could be removed, he said.
It’s not uncommon for people to try to drive cars onto the beach, Huther said, adding that this was the third such incident local park police have responded to this year.
“They usually don’t make it to the water,” he said.
This is an everyday occurance here in Florida, we have many beaches where you can drive and park your car. You have to remember not to forget how high the tide comes in. Hahaha
Some are just not cut out to be an “early bird”.
Poor surfer girl was just trying to make that paddle just a little bit easier. Can’t blame her, it was going off out there. The PWC ban is making people do crazy things to surf big waves..
Just leave it there, would be a cool artificial reef. We’ll call it lexis reef!
so fantaztic!!!! º0º …..
Braaavohhhh!!!!!
I’d say this will be a life changing event after she get’s the fine, towing charge, and Daddy takes her T bird away.
First a guy drives into the Muni tunnel, now this. I guess people are looking for new driving experiences. Or maybe its all those car commercials showing cars on mountaintops and out in nature. They should start putting “don’t try this at home” warnings on them.
just leave it there.
I can’t wait to hear the backstory on this one. Do you guys have any more photos of the car in the water?
Yep. Look for an update, including a short video and more pics soon.
“Huther said he wasn’t sure how the car would be removed from the beach, or who would have to pay for it.”
Really? How about have the woman who put it there pay for it’s removal?
Maybe she’s not the registered owner.
Sgt. Huther told me that she is.