Crime & Safety
State Patrol Cites HOV Lane Violator With Phony Passenger
The driver, who was pulled over after an abrupt lane change on I-405 at 160th near Kirkland, offered no excuse for his seat-belted mannequin.
A state trooper cited a driver for an HOV lane violation Tuesday night on Interstate 405 near Kirkland after pulling the man over and finding a dummy of sorts in the passenger seat, the State Patrol reports.
A coat stuffed with clothes was the only โpassengerโ Trooper Jeff Anderson discovered when the pickup truck made a sudden, unsafe exit from the HOV lane near 160th Street.
When the vehicle was stopped, the driver, who was not identified in a State Patrol news release Thursday, stated โSir, I have no excuse.โ The trooper said the seat-belted coat in the passenger seat appeared to be a mannequin torso covered with clothes.
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The pinch came during the Tuesday evening commute when the trooper observed an older Toyota pickup truck move out of the HOV lane so suddenly that it drew his attention.
The usual fine for HOV lane violations is $124.
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Patch contacted the State Patrol information officer, Trooper Julie Startup, but she could not provide any more details.
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