Abbotsford police bust passenger riding in trunk of car
Posted January 26, 2019 5:22 pm.
Last Updated January 27, 2019 7:26 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) — A traffic stop in Abbotsford last weekend led to an unusual discovery in the trunk of a two-door coupe: a person riding in the trunk.
Abbotsford police say the four- or five-seat vehicle had six passengers in the cab — two in the front seats, and four in the back — with a seventh person laying in the trunk. All of them were in their twenties.
Sgt. Judy Bird says the officer was told they didn’t have enough room in the front of the vehicle, so they decided to get the seventh person ride in the trunk. But carrying more passengers than there are seat belts – or seats – comes at a price: a $311 fine under the Motor Vehicle Act.
Bird says not only is it illegal, it’s putting the passenger in the trunk in a risky situation.
“I think it’s a terrible idea to begin with, and then you actually realize the danger of having a person in the trunk,” she says. “Vehicles are manufactured so that when you’re in a collision, the rear of the vehicle will collapse to put a barrier between the vehicle or item that struck you and the passenger inside.
“Whatever’s in your trunk or the back area of your vehicle, is quite high risk if you’re involved in a collision.”
The police department shared a photo of the person in the trunk of the car with their face covered by an emoji. Bird says she hopes the humorous tweet can help teach a serious safety lesson.
“No, don’t put somebody in the trunk,” she says. “There are fines attached to bad decision-making, and though we can sort of shake our heads and giggle over this incident, it is actually quite serious and the repercussions could have been much much more serious should they have been involved in any sort of collision.
“When you’re in a pinch, I think sometimes we don’t think and we do things that are dangerous and we don’t really realize how dangerous they are until we have a few moments to reflect on it. I think this driver now understands the danger of putting people in their trunks and not having enough seat belts.”
