A man in Spokane, Washington, was shocked to learn that he had been slapped with a speeding ticket issued from the other side of the country. Turns out, someone had stolen the license plates of a car he had traded in years ago, leaving him with a bureaucratic nightmare.
As reported by KHQ, the man in question is Dennis Snyder. Recently, he was surprised to find out that he was being accused of speeding in a New York neighborhood. According to the authorities, he was driving at 42 mph in a 30 mph zone.
This, of course, made no sense to the Washington man. After all, he lives about 2,500 miles away from where the speeding incident took place, a place he had never visited. That’s a 37-hour drive, exclusive to those who don’t sleep or need the restroom.
Then, Dennis reviewed the photo evidence and recognized something familiar. Whoever was driving the vehicle was using a license plate he had owned.
A Deal Gone Wrong, Years in the Making
Reportedly, the story of the out-of-state ticket began back in June 2023. At the time, Dennis was trading in his 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe. He was ready to remove the license plates with screwdrivers, but those at the dealership told him not to worry. He, in fact, should have worried.
“They said, ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s going to auction. We’ll take them off.’ That was my mistake,” Dennis admitted to the outlet.
Now, those license plates were installed, he said, in an entirely different vehicle. How that occurred is still unknown.
Bureaucratic Nightmare
After reviewing the photos, Dennis immediately contacted the New York authorities. According to him, he sent paperwork that proved that he not only hadn’t owned the license plates in three years, but also that of his 13-year-old Tahoe. Apparently, that wasn’t enough.
“There were two or three items that the judge said I didn’t give them… I was ordered to pay the $50 ticket,” Dennis said.
The Spokane man has gathered more documentation, including a copy of his registration from the Washington Department of Licensing. He has sent every single piece of paper proving that he is innocent, and he has yet to hear back from the corresponding authorities.
Washington Man Worried, Issues Warning
Now, Dennis Snyder is a worrisome man. His attention, however, is not set on how much money he could end up paying. Rather, he is worried someone might get hurt.
“I’m concerned this guy, whoever has it, is going to do something (worse). God forbid he hits a little kid or something, and they come back on me for that,” he said.
While he continues to deal with his predicament, Dennis warns other car owners, telling them to always remove the plates when doing a deal similar to his. Even if you must destroy them, he said, drivers should do anything in their power to prevent a situation like the one described above.