Man fined $425 for driving SUV into streetcar tunnel was 'following GPS'

Crews extracted an SUV from a streetcar tunnel leading to Union Station after a 21-year-old man drove nearly 800 metres into it on Thursday morning.

The driver made it from the tunnel entrance Queens Quay West "up to Union Station, where the streetcars offload and load passengers," said TTC spokesperson Brad Ross. He said the man is facing at $425 fine from the TTC for illegal entry.

"The driver of the car seemed to indicate he was simply following his GPS," said Ross.

Toronto police say that after the man entered the streetcar tunnel at about 4:30 a.m., he left his car to go find help and returned when police arrived on the scene. They also say that at this point, he is facing no charges for the incident.

Ross said that the entrance to the streetcar tunnel is clearly marked, but also said this has happened a handful of times before, most recently in April.

"There's lots of signage, lots of flashing lights to indicate to motorists that this is a no-go zone," he said.

The incident caused major disruptions for commuters who rely on the streetcar in the morning.

The 509 and the 510 were both affected, turning back at Queens Quay and Spadina. By 10:45 a.m., Ross tweeted that regular service had resumed.

The car was removed by a crane normally used to lift and carry rail in the subway system.