Washington Driver Caught Using Fake Skeleton As Passenger In HOV Lane

One driver thought he was clever enough to trick law enforcement while driving in the HOV lane. Unfortunately, his luck ran out when he was caught by a Washington state trooper on Tuesday (February 15).

Trooper Rick Johnson says he pulled over the offending driver while they were heading southbound on Interstate 405 near Coral Creek. What he found was a fake skeleton dressed like a real person in the passenger seat of the driver's vehicle, according to a Twitter post by the trooper.

Naturally, he had to make the laws very clear when it came to driving in the HOV lane: "SB 405 near Coal Creek. #DoesNotCount for HOV. #GottaBeAlive." It also didn't take long for the jokes to start flying.

"I’ve felt like I’ve sat in traffic that long before. Are you sure the passenger wasn’t alive when the journey started?" one Twitter user wrote.

"Should've cited them for the poor choice in air fresheners too... that combined smell must've been incredible," another said.

For those who aren't familiar with HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes, they're only allowed for vehicles carrying multiple occupants, such as buses and rideshares like Uber and Lyft.

Because there were frequent violations involving dolls, dummies, mannequins, and other fake objects posing as passengers, lawmakers passed a law in 2019 adding an extra $200 fine for offending drivers using the tactic, according to MyNorthwest. First-time violators get slapped with a $186. Drivers with multiple offenses get $336 each time.