Man, 94, Drives Wrong Way Across Tacoma Narrows Bridge

GIG HARBOR, WA - A Pierce County deputy encountered a frightening and heartbreaking incident near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Tuesday afternoon. The deputy had to stop a 94-year-old man because he had driven across the bridge in the wrong direction.

The incident happened just after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. A deputy was approaching the toll booths heading eastbound out of Gig Harbor when he saw cars in front of him swerving. Then he saw why: a gold Toyota Camry weaving through traffic in the wrong direction.

The deputy put his lights on and tried to stop the driver, but the driver drove on, ending up in the HOV lane. The deputy was eventually able to position his car so the driver was blocked from moving any farther.

Inside the car, the deputy met the 94-year-old driver and his 88-year-old wife. They were headed home to Poulsbo.

"Neither seemed to grasp the severity of his actions nor the danger to themselves or others," one deputy noted, according to a statement on the Pierce County Sheriff's Facebook page.

After talking to the couple, deputies figured out they probably entered SR 16 via the Jackson Avenue off-ramp in Tacoma.

The man was cited for reckless driving, but he and his wife were taken home by family members, according to the sheriff's office.

Image via Ted S. Warren/Associated Press