Ganesha Martin, the bureau chief of constitutional policing for the Minneapolis Police Department, was cited Saturday following a property damage crash with a Metro Transit light rail train in downtown Minneapolis.
Metro Transit police responded to the crash just after 3:30 p.m. at North 5th Street and North 2nd Avenue, according to available dispatch audio. A responding officer eventually aired that the vehicle had been trying to turn into a parking ramp when it was struck by the train.
Officer comments in the citation state, “The driver told officers she didn’t realize the road ended and 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.”
There were no injuries reported at the time, and Metro Transit police specifically requested the dispatcher to change the incident from an injury crash to property damage only, according to further dispatch audio.
Martin was driving a 2023 Chevy Tahoe with a Minnesota license plate at the time of the crash, which sources told Alpha News was a City of Minneapolis vehicle.
Martin was cited with a misdemeanor count of trespassing on the railroad tracks, and a petty misdemeanor count of failure to obey a traffic signal. The citation includes a $228 fine.
Martin, from Baltimore, was hired to her civilian employee position by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara in May of last year.
Although Martin has been in her position with the police department for a year as of this month, the citation lists that she’s still driving with a Maryland driver’s license.
Alpha News reached out to both MPD and Metro Transit police for comment. Metro Transit did not respond.
“This was a property damage crash with no injuries. Metro Transit PD processed the crash,” MPD said. “The circumstances of the crash will be reviewed in accordance with MPD policy.”
This story was updated with a statement from MPD.
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