CHP officers in Hayward cited a driver accused of using a mannequin as a fake passenger to improperly qualify for reduced tolls in a high-occupancy vehicle lane, authorities said.

The California Highway Patrol’s Hayward office said officers stopped a vehicle after noticing what appeared to be a dummy positioned in the passenger seat while the driver’s FasTrak Flex transponder was set for multiple occupants.

According to CHP, the mannequin was missing “one important detail … a face.”

Authorities said the driver received a toll evasion citation. Officials did not identify the driver or say when the stop occurred.

The CHP reminded motorists that HOV lane occupants must be actual people “not your arts and crafts project.”

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