Ticketed Renton man pleads: He’s not a fake passenger

Published 2:49 pm Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Putting a sweatshirt on a human-shaped doll did not keep a Renton driver from getting a ticket for violating the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane last Friday, according to the Washington State Patrol.

He also did it in front of a state trooper.

The 21-year-old was stopped in rush-hour traffic at about 8 a.m. March 30 northbound on Interstate 405 near the Sunset Boulevard exit for making an unsafe lane change into the HOV lane, cutting in front of a patrol, according to trooper Julie Startup, a patrol spokeswoman.

The trooper hit his brakes to avoid hitting the man’s Scion. He also saw what he thought was the passenger ducking down in the front seat. Concerned about the passenger’s safety, he discovered that the front “passenger” was an inflated doll wearing a sweatshirt, according to Startup.

The driver told the trooper he was a good driver and the doll was not being used as a fake passenger when he was stopped. A ticket for the HOV violation and the unsafe lane change was issued, totaling $248.

Sudden movements during a traffic stop are a safety warning for law enforcement officers, according to Startup. Not knowing what the driver and “passenger” were hiding increases a trooper’s awareness that a dangerous threat may be waiting in the car, she said.

She offered these safety tips when stopped by a trooper:

• Lower tinted windows for increased visibility

• Don’t make sudden/unusual movements

• Keep your hands visible to the officer • Wait to look for documents until asked for them

• Turn on interior lighting during hours of darkness