Man caught using mannequin torso to cheat California carpool lane

BREA, Calif., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A California police department said a motorcycle officer ticketed a man for driving in the carpool lane with an artificial passenger -- a mannequin.

The Brea Police Department tweeted a photo of the female-style mannequin, which was missing its legs, wearing a hoodie with its face partially obscured in the passenger seat of a driver's pickup truck.

The department said the motorcycle-riding officer pulled up to the pickup truck's window Wednesday evening when it make a sudden lane change from the carpool lane in heavy traffic on the northbound 57 Freeway.

The officer had intended to warn the driver about being mare careful while changing lanes, but the officer's attention was quickly drawn to the unusual passenger.

The driver admitted he had been using the dummy in carpool lanes for a while before being caught.

The man was issued a citation for a carpool lane violation.

"Nice try," police tweeted.