Ticketed distracted driver says cops mistook hash browns for a phone

Hashtag stressed

A legal battle for the ages is raging in coastal Connecticut between the cops and a man who maintains he is a simple fast-food patron. Jason Stiber says the Westport Police Department wrongfully pulled him over for distracted driving. He and insists he was holding a McDonald's hash brown in his hand, not a cellphone.

In a case we hereby declare the Hash Clash, Stiber has turned a small-potatoes ticket and fine into a major expense in an attempt to expunge his name of any wrongdoing. According to a report from NBC News, 45-year-old Stiber was convicted by a magistrate last year for the $300 ticket but had the right to challenge the ruling and take it to court. He did, and $1,000 later, a Norwalk, Conn., Superior Court judge is hearing the case.

Despite an officer testifying he saw Stiber's mouth moving during the incident, Stiber's representation says this was due to hash mastication. Stiber and his lawyer say his phone is linked to his car's Bluetooth and thus does not require physically holding the phone to his face. They also say they have phone records and a McDonald's receipt to combat the charge. Sounds like a fully baked defense.

However the case turns out, one thing is clear: Eating in the car is nasty, especially with greasy McDonald's fast food. That alone is worth a $300 fine.

Related Video:

Share This Photo X