Man used Plexiglas dummy in carpool lane

RIVERHEAD, N.Y., Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The Suffolk County, N.Y., Sheriff's Office says a man was ticketed after admitting to using a Plexiglas doll to drive in a carpool-only lane.

The office said a deputy noticed Steven Dinowitz, 51, driving in a Long Island Expressway high-occupancy vehicle lane with a fake person riding the passenger seat, Newsday reported Thursday.

"One of our deputy sheriffs, he noticed the front seat passenger looked ... unusual," said Michael Sharkey, the sheriff's chief of staff. "He stopped the vehicle, and it was a two- or three-piece construction of Plexiglas, dressed in clothing to appear to be a passenger."

Sharkey said Dinowitz admitted to dressing the Plexiglas up like a person to get to and from work faster.

"You get enough people doing stuff like that, and it totally defeats the purpose of having an HOV lane," Sharkey said. "It's not limiting it to people who are carpooling."

Dinowitz was ticketed and released.