Scott Mitchell, Man Who Drove Through Muni Tunnel, Accused of Being Drunk

Don't they teach people how to drive in Sebastopol?

​Police arrested 40-year-old Scott Mitchell on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after he got his SUV stuck in the Muni tunnel just in time for the the morning commute to start.

Officer Albie Esparza couldn't explain why Mitchell drove into the underground tunnel at Church and Duboce, but he noted that he isn't a resident of San Francisco, which means he might not be familiar with the city.

Mitchell, who lives in Sebastopol, drove into the tunnel shortly after 6 a.m. He continued driving down the light-rail tracks for roughly two city blocks before he got to the Van Ness station.
When he got out of the vehicle, police were awaiting Mitchell, who was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. He was booked into San Francisco County Jail where he was left to "sober up," Esparza said.

Muni was forced to close all underground trains for more than two hours this morning while crews removed the SUV and made repairs. Service was restored by 9 a.m., but the trains are still running slower than usual through the Church and Duboce portal, said Paul Rose, spokesman for Muni.

Rose said the car damaged the Muni switch at that location, which is used to guide trains as they switch from one direction to the other. Now, operators are having to switch trains manually, which takes longer.

"We are planning to make more repairs tonight," Rose told us.

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