Long Island Driver Busted for Mannequin in HOV Lane

Just another mindless passenger

Oh, that old trick.

A a 61-year-old woman from Mount Sinai, L.I., was caught driving in the HOV lane on the L.I.E. Tuesday morning between exits 58 and 57 is Islandia with a life-size mannequin in the passenger seat.

Suffolk County police say they became suspicious of K.A. Frascinella carpool when Deputy Sheriff Robert Howard noticed the female passenger wearing sunglasses and a visor on a cloudy morning.

Howard then found that the passenger was really a half body mannequin fully dressed in a long dark wig, scarf, blazer, and matching shirt and belt.

Frascinella was issued a traffic ticket with a fine of $135 and two points on her license.

Suffolk County police stress that unchecked abuses like this can lead to traffic congestion, and must be taking seriously. 

"At first glance, this may seem humorous,” said Sheriff Vincent F. DeMarco, “but it is not a joking matter when you drive off with a ticket." 

Nevertheless, this has happened once or twice before.

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