Trooper has message for driver with ‘scary’ passenger in Washington carpool lane
A man tried to get away with driving in the carpool lane with a creepy fake passenger in Washington.
Now, a trooper has a message for him: “Does not count.”
The driver was stopped in the early afternoon of Oct. 29 on Interstate 5, near the Interstate 90 intersect in Seattle, Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson told McClatchy News by email.
A trooper discovered a “scary” skeleton buckled into the passenger seat.
Skeletons don’t count as passengers, Johnson said in a post on X, which included a photo of the prop.
The driver was fined $186, Johnson told McClatchy News.
What are HOV lane rules?
In Washington, HOV lanes are “reserved for carpools, vanpools, buses, and/or other vehicles carrying multiple people,” according to the state transportation department.
Typically, a vehicle must have two occupants to drive in the lane, but three occupants may be required depending on the area, officials said.
The lane is designed to give vehicles with multiple people inside an advantage on roadways.
If a driver uses the lane incorrectly for the first time, they get a $186 fine, transportation officials said.
But an extra $200 can be added to the ticket if a driver uses a dummy or mannequin as a passenger.
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Trooper has message for driver with ‘scary’ passenger in Washington carpool lane."
