Who's the Dummy in the 57 Freeway Carpool Lane?

BREA, CA — Traveling northbound on the 57 in traffic can be maddening. One man thought he'd found the perfect solution, adding a mannequin as his passenger.

"On Wednesday, September 21st one of our motorcycle officers was traveling northbound on the 57 Freeway near Tonner Canyon at about 5 p.m.," the Brea Police stated on their Facebook page.

Traffic at that time of day is often bumper to bumper. Motorcycle officers watching the carpool/HOV lane made a startling discovery.

"A pickup truck suddenly veered out of the carpool/HOV lane very close to the officer's motorcycle," the post stated. "The officer rode up alongside the driver's side open window, with the intention of warning him to be more careful when changing lanes."

What the officer found took him by surprise.

"The passenger in the vehicle was actually a mannequin," they said. "The officer stopped the driver and issued him a citation for being solo in the carpool lane."

According to Brea Police, the driver admitted to having driven in the carpool lane with his mannequin friend for quite some time.

He did relate "that he would now just accept the fact he needed to sit in traffic like everyone else," they said. "While our partners at the CHP probably see things like this more frequently, this is a first for Brea PD."

Have you ever seen a dummy in the carpool lane? Ask a silly question...