Decorah woman drives her car two miles down a mountain biking trail

(Photos courtesy of the Decorah Police Department's Facebook page): Two small trees prevented the vehicle from falling into the Upper Iowa River

The Decorah Police Department reports a driver mistook a mountain bike trail for a roadway on Sunday afternoon around 4:00 p.m.

59-year-old Mary Bradley of Decorah entered the mountain bike trail that runs along the Upper Iowa River near Dunning Springs. Bradley drove about 2 miles before the trail narrowed and she slid partially over the river emankment. Bradley was stopped by two small trees which kept her vehicle from entering the river.

Bradley told the Deputy that she thought the trail was a road because she had traveled it as a road in the past. She was informed that the trail has never been a road and that it is part of the Decorah mountain biking trail system.

Bradley's vehicle was safely removed with the help of a tracked UTV which was used to winch the vehicle out until it could be removed. There was approximately $6000 in damage to the Bradley's 2008 Toyota Rav 4. No injuries were reported.

The Decorah Police Department was assisted by the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office, the Decorah Fire Department, and Don's Towing service.

The vehicle got 3/4ths of the way down River Trail before the trail narrowed too much to continue

Decorah Fire Rescue had to get creative to remove the vehicle