Sep 24, 2008 9:41 pm US/Eastern
Man Busted With Dummy Riding Shotgun In HOV Lane
Sheriff's Deputies On Long Island Expressway Stunned By 51-Year-Old Man's Brazen Attempt To Avoid Traffic
RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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A 51-year-old man was arrested after a sheriff's deputy pulled him over on the Long Island Expressway driving in the HOV lane with a dummy in the passenger seat.
CBS
It was the morning rush on Long Island and a driver who didn't want to get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic concocted a scheme.
And on Wednesday night it had Suffolk County Sheriff's Deputies shaking their heads.
Deputy Robert Howard did a double take. The motorist driving on the Long Island Expressway in the HOV -- high occupancy vehicle -- lane, which is restricted to two or more, was overly animated as he drove by the sheriff, gesturing wildly to his passenger.
But strangely the passenger wasn't moving a muscle.
"I was like whoa!" Deputy Howard told CBS 2 HD. "I gotta get closer so I pulled out of HOV and told him to pull over."
So with lights and siren blaring Deputy Howard stopped the driver -- a 51-year-old artist from Ronkonkoma -- along with his silent passenger.
"I asked him for license and registration and he said, 'Officer is there something wrong?' And I said, 'Yes, in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, in the HOV lane, you are required to have two living passengers -- living!"
The non-living passenger was indeed a mannequin -- a dummy most elaborate, fashioned out of Plexiglas with fitted eyes, ears and chest -- for sunglasses, a hat and jacket.
"He said, 'I've been driving around like this for more than a year with no problem,'" Deputy Howard said.
It apparently had worked until now, seemingly saving the driver lots of time and gas money. Was it worth it?
"[He was issued a] $90 ticket and 3 points on his license," Howard said.
Fellow drivers were somewhat amused.
"A mannequin – it's a first, but to get around this island you have to do whatever you have to do," motorist Joseph Polizzi said.
The arrested driver, who works at a plexiglass company in Melville, allegedly begged:
"Can't you give me an 'E' for effort?" he asked the officers.
The deputy said he responded, "No, I'm giving you an 'S' for summons."
Sheriff's deputies have recently taken over patrolling the LIE from Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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