In an effort to avoid arrest during a traffic stop over the weekend, a Colorado man behind the wheel swapped places with a dog in his passenger seat, police said.
It did not work.
Police in Springfield, a town of about 1,300 people in the southeastern part of the state, said an officer pulled the man over for speeding Saturday night and watched him maneuvering inside the car before eventually getting out on the passenger side.
“The male party showed clear signs of intoxication,” an officer with Springfield Police Department wrote in a Facebook post about the incident.
Police said the man claimed he was not driving, and when asked about his alcohol consumption, he ran.
The man made it 20 yards before he was taken into custody, according to police.
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Police said they also learned the man, a local resident, was driving from Las Animas to Pueblo and got lost in Springfield.
The driver was taken to a hospital to be checked out, then arrested on suspicion of charges including speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol as well as on additional warrants.
“The dog was given to an acquaintance of the driver to take care of while the party was in jail,” police wrote in the post. “The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning.”
Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
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