She allegedly drove the wrong way on I-5 twice, then led police onto the train tracks

A 51-year-old woman from Eureka, California, was arrested after she allegedly twice drove a minivan the wrong direction on Interstate 5, nearly collided with Blaine Police vehicles, then led them on a pursuit before trying to drive on train tracks toward the Canadian border Wednesday night.

“Nobody was hurt, and that’s the best part,” Blaine Police Chief Allen Schubert told The Bellingham Herald Thursday. “This is like a big-city issue, and you don’t expect it here.”

Diana M. Hahn was booked into Whatcom County Jail early Thursday morning on suspicion of attempting to elude a police vehicle, reckless driving, third-degree assault, second-degree criminal trespass and resisting arrest.

At approximately 10:15 p.m., police received a report of a gray Dodge minivan driving southbound in northbound lanes of I-5 near the D Street exit, Schubert said.

Police got on the freeway and tried to find the wrong-way driver, but got another report saying the car had exited at Peace Portal Drive. Police were unable to locate the car.

About 20 minutes later, Schubert said, police received another report of a car matching the description of the first, getting back on I-5 at the Birch Bay-Lynden Road exit and this time heading northbound in the southbound lanes.

Near milepost 273, Schubert said, police saw the headlights of Hahn’s minivan approaching and had to make evasive maneuvers to avoid colliding with it. Police quickly turned around and pursued the minivan at speeds reaching 80 to 85 mph, Schubert said.

Hahn exited the freeway at D Street and went through a roundabout onto Marine Street, but a train was stopped on the railroad tracks there, Schubert said.

Hahn then turned onto a gravel road on Burlington Northern Santa Fe property next to the tracks and headed northbound toward the border, he said.

Hahn drove about 200 yards on the gravel road before allegedly trying to drive on the railroad tracks, at which point the minivan became disabled.

Washington State Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and BNSF police also were involved in the pursuit.

Schubert said Hahn fought with officers as they attempted to take her into custody and refused to talk to them after they read her rights to her.

Schubert said reports on the incident did not suggest alcohol or drug use were suspected as a cause for her behavior.