LAS VEGAS — High-occupancy lanes (HOV) recently opened on Interstate 15 around Las Vegas. Nevada Highway Patrol troopers are patrolling the new lanes to make sure drivers are following the law to use them.
On Monday, a trooper pulled over a Chrysler Town and Country hearse in the HOV lane owned by a Las Vegas funeral home.
The trooper explained to the driver when he stopped him.
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"We're working the HOV lanes pretty heavy today," said the trooper.
"He won't count? He won't count?" asked the driver while pointing to the casket in the back of the hearse.
"He is not with us anymore," chuckled the trooper. "But for that I'll give you a warning on that alright?"
Having been given a break, the driver was not cited and advised to move out of the HOV lane.
The Nevada Highway Patrol later issued the following statement, "We don’t want to beat the rules of the HOV lanes to death but you must have a living, breathing human occupying the seats in the vehicle to be in compliance with HOV lane rules."
Today we stopped a local funereal home hearse in the HOV lane. The driver had the dearly departed in the back, he thought the deceased could be counted as two people. I guess we should clarify this, living, breathing people count for the HOV lane. The driver was given a warning pic.twitter.com/OQms0ktl8t
— NHP Southern Command (@NHPSouthernComm) July 1, 2019