(Robert Jonathan, Headline USA) State troopers pulled over a 51-year-old Indiana man who was allegedly out and about while driving a battery-powered toy Jeep.
For John McKee of Vincennes, Ind., the joyride resulted in a felony charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, according to local media reports.
The nighttime traffic stop on a city street in Vincennes, near the Illinois border, was initiated after a trooper reportedly spotted a Power Wheels Jeep with no lights or reflectors, and as such, it “was difficult to see.”
Under the circumstances, a speeding violation probably could not have resulted in a law enforcement intervention, however, because the toy car maxes out at 5 miles per hour.
That said, the suspect may have aged-out of the appropriate demographic for this product.
The Mattel toy company website implies that the Jeep is meant for “off-road adventures” and provides “driving fun for preschool kids ages 3-7.”
The Jeep also has a 130-pound weight limit.
An owner’s manual apparently also warns against nighttime operation or taking the kids’ conveyance on the road when any cars are present.
During the stop, state cops determined that McKee showed “signs of impairment.”
The Indianapolis Star reported that the driver “failed field sobriety tests, according to a state police news release. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, where officers said he was found to be under the influence of methamphetamines and marijuana.”
He was subsequently arrested for OWI and booked into the Knox County, Ind., jail, Fox 59 Indianapolis reported.
His background also reportedly includes a prior conviction for the same offense.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office website described the charge as “Operating a Vehicle With a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance or its Metabolite in the Body.”
As with all criminal matters, the presumption of innocence applies.
The law on traffic stops when drunk or drugged driving is suspected—and obviously which usually involves regular vehicles—varies from state to state.
In general, an officer with specialized training comes to the scene and usually administers a breathalyzer followed by the standard field-testing process.
If a motorist is then taken into custody on suspicion of DUI or OWI (depending upon the equivalent acronym used in the jurisdiction), a blood draw at a nearby hospital is usually the next step in the investigation
Fans of On Patrol: Live, the popular ride-along, reality show that was the successor to Live PD, have seen cops often pull over various kinds of unconventional vehicles—some of which they aren’t able to definitively define right away—for lights or similar safety infractions.
Sometimes it’s just that, and just a warning follows, unless the interaction suggests that something else is or might be going on, possibly because of odor, behavior, or another reason.
