Wellesley Officer Cleans Snowy Car Instead Of Ticketing Driver

WELLESLEY, MA — The weather outside may be frightful, but police across the state are urging drivers to clear the snow from their cars. While driving with a snow-covered car is a ticket-able offense, one Wellesley police officer decided to get the message across a different way.

Wellesley Officer Derek Harris was on patrol on Wednesday morning when he noticed a snow covered car on Washington Street. Harris stopped the car ad talked with the driver about "the importance of proper vehicle maintenance," according to the department. Instead of ticketing the car, Harris cleared the snow himself, with the car pulled over on the side of the street.

The department said the driver was let off with a warning and added, "Fairly certain this driver will never make the same mistake again."

The ordeal was caught on video by a passerby and posted on Facebook. The woman who took the video, Joeanne Chlebogiannis told police she thought Off. Derek Harris had gone above and beyond the scope of his duties.

State law generally bans drivers from operating a vehicle with anything that could "interfere with or impede the proper operation of the vehicle" — and that can include ice and snow. State law also bans drivers from driving with unsecured loads, and from driving with an obscured license plate.