Commuter lane violator used doll in passenger seat

[December 10, 2010]  SEATTLE (AP) -- Diego was a model passenger, sitting quietly with seat belt buckled, never fidgeting. But it was the huge, unblinking eyes that made a Washington state trooper suspicious.

The State Patrol says troopers in the Seattle area were recently pulling over high occupancy lane violators -- people driving alone in a lane intended for vehicles with two or more occupants.

That's when the odd "passenger" drew one trooper's notice.

The patrol says the trooper stopped the car and found the driver had placed a stuffed Diego doll from the Nickelodeon children's show "Go, Diego, Go!" in the front passenger seat.

The unidentified driver said he was late for work, so he drove off with his daughter's doll so he could use the HOV lane.

He was cited for the violation.

___

Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com/

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.