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Woman Follows GPS Onto Tracks As Train Approaches

VICTORVILLE (CBS) — Some people follow their GPS like it's the law, even when it gives them wild directions.

A woman and her husband were driving in the high desert when they followed her GPS straight onto some train tracks -- and got stuck there.

To make matters worse, as the woman struggled to free her car she spotted a train headed straight for her.

The couple had been driving on the 15 Freeway towards Los Angeles at 11:30 p.m. Sunday. They were in Victorville when her GPS indicated that she needed to exit at Stoddard Wells Road.

She turned right and continued driving, even as the paved road gave way to a dirt road. After traveling a mile and a half she came across railroad tracks and, instead of driving over them or turning around, she turned her vehicle onto the tracks.

The woman drove for a while down the tracks before she called 911 for help finding her way back.

Sheriff's deputies used a helicopter to locate the vehicle and, then, spotted the oncoming train.

Deputies drove alongside the locomotive, with their lights and sirens activated, and managed to stop the train.

Authorities then managed to extract the couple's car, which sustained damage from the tracks, and had it towed.

A little while later, equipped with a solid set of directions, the couple continued their rather adventurous trip on towards Los Angeles.

Officials warn that people use navigation devices with caution and to rely on their judgment if something doesn't seem right.

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