Police: Carpool lane cheater had mannequin passenger

Feb. 9 (UPI) -- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said a traffic officer ticketed a van driver caught using the carpool lanes with a mannequin passenger.

The RCMP said a Port Mann Traffic Services officer on Highway 1 in the Langley/Surrey area of British Columbia spotted a white van speeding and crossing into the high-occupancy vehicle lanes without signaling.

The officer stopped the van and discovered the driver's passenger was a mannequin dressed in sunglasses and a hoodie.

"This is one of those cases where the RCMP got their mannequin," police said. "The passenger exercised the right to remain silent."

"The driver of the vehicle was issued several tickets for the alleged offenses and the passenger, who did not protest, was given a ride to her new home...in a police car," police said.

Police said users of the HOV lanes must have at least two actual humans in the vehicle.

"In this case, the mannequin was seized to prevent the continuation of the offense of Illegal Use of HOV lane," RCMP said.