Hearse Driver Tries To Use Carpool Lane With Deceased Passenger

The Nevada Highway Patrol has a deadly serious message: You can only use the carpool lane if all passengers are living.

Officials made that public service announcement on Monday after they pulled over a man driving a hearse in the HOV lane in Las Vegas.

The driver, who hasn’t been identified, told Trooper Travis Smaka he assumed that the body he was transporting to a funeral brought him in compliance with the HOV lane requirement of two or more occupants per vehicle, according to The Associated Press.

Smaka told CNN he laughed at the frankly novel excuse.

“It just threw me off,” Smaka said. “That was one of the more interesting responses I’ve gotten.”

Smaka said he told the driver to get out of the lane, but let him off with a warning.

Nevada Highway Patrol tweeted about the incident in hopes of turning it into a teachable moment for anyone who may be transporting a dead person in their car.