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Man Caught Driving In Carpool Lane With Wooden Passenger
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 28, 2015
Modified Feb 28, 2015
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SCPD
By
Ben Yakas
Published Feb 28, 2015
Modified Feb 28, 2015
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It was a foolproof plan that didn't quite take root: when a Long Island man was stopped for speeding in the HOV lane of the LI Expressway this week, cops discovered his passenger was none other than a piece of wood in a sweatshirt. And he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling cops.
Suffolk County cops say they stopped driver James Campbell for speeding at 77 MPH at 6:30 a.m. on Friday in Dix Hills. "I was trying not to laugh at the guy because I thought it was quite silly," officer Jonathan Abrams told NBC. He added that he was briefly fooled by the wooden apparition: "The silhouette was realistic enough," he said. "You see people with hoods up, sleeping in the front seat all the time."
Campbell explained to Abrams that he had started a new job and couldn't afford to be late, so he figured the HOV lane would be quicker. Campbell added that Abrams seemed to have a sense of humor about everything: "He said, 'Passenger, can I see some ID?' And I said, 'Officer, I don't think so," Campbell said.
Campbell has been issued summonses for speeding and occupancy violation. He still had his wooden friend in his front seat as of Friday evening.
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long island
police
wooden passenger
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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