Police: Woman crashed through airport gate and drove onto runway
A Florida airport was closed for about half an hour over the weekend after a woman crashed her car through a secure gate and crossed a runway, officials said.
The 42-year-old Clewiston woman walked through a marked and restricted gate Saturday afternoon at Southwest Florida International Airport near Fort Myers, according to an airport police report.
After entering the airport property, the woman crossed an active runway and headed toward a Spirit Airlines plane, officials said. She eventually pulled over in front of ground service employees and police officers took her into custody.
The woman declined to say why she crashed through the airport gate, investigators said. The woman shouted obscenities at police and threatened to blow her brains out, according to the arrest report.
According to a statement from the Lee County Port Authority, the woman’s sedan was not on the runway during any aircraft movement. After the woman was arrested, workers inspected the airfield and runway for damage, officials said. Normal operations resumed after 21 minutes and no flights experienced significant delays.
The woman was charged with reckless driving, criminal mischief, violating a designated operational area of an airport and threatening a public official. She was released from jail on Wednesday on $205,500 bond.
