Washington state driver uses clown dummy to get through HOV lane, gets treated to a ticket
A driver in Renton, Washington used a frightening clown dummy as a "passenger" for the carpool lane, but was caught and issued a ticket. (KRIV)
A lone driver was caught and treated to a scary ticket after using a creepy clown dummy as his passenger in the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in Washington state.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson, public information officer for the Washington State Patrol District 2, said in an X post that the driver was in the HOV lanes on Interstate 405 in Renton, Washington when a trooper noticed an unusual occupant in the passenger seat.
![Clown dummy](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/10/1200/675/526d8562-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
A Washington State Patrol trooper stopped a driver on Interstate 405 in Renton for using the HOV lanes while the sole passenger was a creepy clown dummy. (Trooper Rick Johnson/@wspd2pio)
After pulling over the creative driver, Johnson confirmed that the passenger was a spooky clown dummy. The creepy clown featured flaming red hair and a red foam nose.
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The officer said that whiled he loved the spooky vibe, inflatables don't count for a legitimate HOV passenger.
"Love the Halloween vibe but still doesn't count," Johnson wrote.
Love the Halloween vibe but still doesn't count
What’s more frightening is how the use of a dummy added more money to the infraction.
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The exact price of this particular ticket is unknown, but according to the Washington State Department of Transportation, first-time HOV violators receive a fine of $186.
![Ticket](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/10/1200/675/15455709-2.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The ticket also noted that the driver had an expired license. (Trooper Rick Johnson/@wspd2pio)
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If that same driver receives another HOV violation within a two-year period, that ticket increases to $336.
However, anyone who uses a doll or a dummy in the car will automatically have $200 added to the ticket.