Woman Looking For ATM, Drives On Railroad Tracks

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Maria Segura needed some cash on Monday morning.

So, she got behind the wheel of her 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier and began searching for an ATM, only to take a left turn onto the Burlington Northern railroad tracks at Harlem Avenue in Riverside.

The fact that police said her blood-alcohol level was 2.5 times the legal limit might explain why she ended up stuck on the tracks around 4 a.m., forcing the railroad to halt operations until the car could be moved.

A Riverside police officer saw the whole incident, which is fortunate for Segura because he was able to quickly alert the 911 dispatcher to halt trains on that line.

Segura, 26, told police she was looking for an ATM and made a wrong turn.

She failed field sobriety tests and was taken to the Riverside Police station, where her BAC was measured at .208, well above the .08 legal limit for intoxication.

Segura, who lives in Chicago, was also driving on a suspended license and was charged with two counts of driving under the influence with a suspended license, driving in the wrong lane and no insurance.

Police also impounded her Cavalier.

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said, "The fact that this driver was so intoxicated that she would drive directly on railroad tracks believing that she was still on a roadway is simply mind-boggling and shows the extent of her excessive alcohol consumption."