Ferry service between Clinton and Mukilteo was disrupted Saturday afternoon by a locked vehicle its owner couldn’t open.

Washington State Ferries spokeswoman Susan Harris Huether said the incident occurred about noon May 28 as ferry crews prepared to offload the M/V Kittitas at Clinton.

She said the owner was unable to unlock the Audi SUV, which was on an upper ramp, when the electronic keypad on the door malfunctioned.

She said the vehicle was blocking the exit ramp, and cars behind it had to be backed down the ramp at the other end of the vessel to disembark from the lower deck.

Harris Huether said a 15-minute delay resulted in the schedules of both vessels on the run, which continued throughout the afternoon on one of the ferry system’s busiest weekends of the year.

Meanwhile, the locked vehicle and its owner made the return trip to Mukilteo, where a tow truck eventually removed it from the ferry. Harris Huether said the Kittitas also was short-loaded on the return trip, because the ramp where the locked vehicle was parked couldn’t be used.

“There were no repercussions, but I’m sure the person was horrified,” she said. “I guess the best advice is to know how to override your electronic locking system.”