Minneapolis Police Department bureau chief drives her SUV into the path of a TRAIN

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:21, 18 May 2026 | Updated: 21:21, 18 May 2026 A Minnesota police bureau chief was handed a hefty fine after a wrong turn left a train crashing into her SUV.  Ganesha Martin, 48, was cited with a $228 fine on Saturday for property damage after her vehicle was struck by a Metro Transit light rail train in Minneapolis.  Officers from the Metro Transit police responded to the crash scene at around 3.30pm, Alpha News reported.  Martin, who was hired into her role in Minneapolis around one year ago, told officers that she didn't realize the road ended and that she had turned to avoid the train.  'After reviewing cameras the car was driving on the LRT tracks and was in [the] intersection against the traffic signals when the crash occurred,' an officer said on dispatch audio obtained by the outlet.  Martin had been driving a 2023 Chevy Tahoe with a license plate from Minnesota at the time of the crash, which sources told the outlet was a City of Minneapolis vehicle.  No injuries were reported, but Martin received a citation for misdemeanor trespassing on railroad tracks and petty misdemeanor failure to obey a traffic signal, according to Alpha News.  Ganesha Martin, 48, was cited with a $228 fine on Saturday for property damage after her vehicle was struck by a Metro Transit light rail train in Minneapolis Martin, who was hired into her role in Minneapolis around one year ago, told officers that she didn't realize the road ended and that she had turned to avoid the train Martin had been driving a 2023 Chevy Tahoe with a license plate from Minnesota at the time of the crash, which sources told the outlet was a City of Minneapolis vehicle  According to the outlet, the Metro Transit police requested the crash be reported in as property damage instead of the original incident report describing it as an injury crash.  Martin describes herself as an advocate for police reform, and 'regularly speaks and trains on DOJ consent decrees, police reform and accountability and public safety,' according to her website.  The former Mayor of Baltimore, Stephanie Rawlings Blake, described Martin as 'strategic' on Martin's website, and said: 'Her intellect, hard-working humility and heart for her community is a rare combination to find.' She was also selected by the International Chiefs of Police as Top 40 under 40, and advocate of the year by the Baltimore Community Mediation Center, her site states.  No injuries were reported, but Martin received a citation for misdemeanor trespassing on railroad tracks and petty misdemeanor failure to obey a traffic signal Officers  from the Metro Transit police responded to the crash scene at around 3.30pm The Metro Transit police requested the crash be reported in as property damage instead of the original incident report describing it as an injury crash According to the National Association of Professional Staff in Public Safety, Martin is 'known for her ability to navigate complex issues and overcome entrenched distrust.' 'Martin is driven by a belief in the transformative power of communication and human connection. Her approach fosters collaboration across polarized groups and drives progress on some of society's most challenging social issues,' the association states.  'Outside of her professional work, Martin is a passionate advocate for social justice and community empowerment.'   The Daily Mail reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department, the Metro Transit Police and Ganesha Martin for comment.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.