26 August 2023 , 01:00
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A man has been arrested and taken to jail after being handed a DUI for being under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana while driving a children's toy car.
An Indiana State Police trooper was out patrolling on Wednesday, August 23, at about 9pm when he spotted something odd. Trooper Buchanan was patrolling North 2nd Street in Vincennes, Indiana when he is said to have "observed a male operating a Power Wheels Jeep in the roadway".
According to Trooper Buchanan, the vehicle had "no lights or reflectors and was difficult to see". Concerned about the safety of the battery-powered ride-on vehicle designed for children, the trooper pulled over the driver.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as 51-year-old John McKee, of Vincennes, was stopped on 2nd Street. Indiana State Police said: "McKee displayed signs of impairment and failed field sobriety tests."
He was taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, where it was determined by further investigation that he was "under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana". As a result, he was "arrested and taken to the Knox County Jail", according to police.
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He was pulled over driving a Power Wheels jeep (file image) (Kohls)McKee has been handed a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction, level 6 felony. Police shared the news on their Facebook page, which sparked a flurry of comments.
Some people questioned the charges of the case, with one person asking: "Could this really be construed as operating while impaired? It's a children's toy, and though he shouldn't be operating it on the roadway, it's not a registered vehicle and MAYBE goes 4mph top speed."
Another asked: "Can you really call a Barbie battery operated Jeep a vehicle? Really?" While a third said: "A felony charge for operating kids toy? This is a serious lack of discretion."
Others saw a more lighthearted side to the news. One person said they "Would've liked to been a fly on the wall when the other detainees asked what he was in for."
Another poked fun at Jeep drivers saying: "I bet that Jeep has seen more offroading than most normal ones." While one commenter took the theme of children's toys and games one step further, asking: "I wonder if he can pay his fine with Monopoly money"?
Vincennes is a city in Knox County, Indiana, around 80km (50 miles) north of Evansville. It's the oldest city in Indiana and previously served as a French fur trading post - sharing its name with a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France.
The southern Indiana city was founded in 1732, and was at the heart of many firsts in the state. It had Indiana's first Catholic church, first county, first newspaper, first Presbyterian church, first Masonic Lodge, first bank and first medical society.