RENTON, Washington — A 21-year-old Renton man was pulled over and cited Friday after state troopers discovered an inflatable, human-shaped doll serving as a “passenger” while the man drove in an HOV lane, the Washington State Patrol said.
A trooper stopped the man around 8 a.m. after he cut in front of a patrol car to enter the HOV lane on northbound Interstate 405 near the Sunset Boulevard exit, the State Patrol said. The trooper hit his brakes to avoid hitting the man’s Toyota Scion and saw what he thought was a passenger ducking down in the front seat.
The trooper was concerned about a potential safety issue inside the vehicle and approached the car only to find the “passenger” was just an inflatable doll in a sweatshirt, the State Patrol said. The 21-year-old driver told the trooper he was a good driver and that the doll wasn’t being used as a fake HOV passenger.
The man was cited for an HOV violation and unsafe lane change, and was issued a $248 ticket.
KIRO
