Pregnant woman in Texas says fetus should count in lane HOV
A pregnant Texas woman plans to fight a ticket she received for driving in a heavy traffic lane, says the reversal of Roe v. Wade which means her unborn child is counted as a passenger.
Dallas Morning News first reported the incident involving Brandy Bottone, who received a $215 ticket after his car flipped over on US Highway 75 South on June 29.
“An officer looked in and asked, ‘Is anyone else in the car? “Bottone told the store. “I pointed at my stomach and said, ‘My daughter is right here. She is a person. ‘”
An official from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department told residents of Plano, Texas, that the law requires HOV lane users to have at least one passenger on board and those passengers must remain outside of the body.
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“And then I said, ‘Well (I’m) not trying to create a political mix here, but with everything going on (with Roe v. Wade), this is considered a kid,” she speaks. “This makes my blood boil. How can this be fair? Under the new law, this is a life.”
The HOV lane is restricted to vehicles carrying two or more people, according to Texas Department of Transportation.
Bottone plans to compete for tickets and has a court date on July 20.
Amy O’Donnell, spokesperson for the anti-abortion group Texas Alliance for Lifestates that while Texas penalties do not recognize an unborn child as a person, the Texas Transportation Code does not.
O’Donnell told the Dallas Morning News: “A baby in the womb can’t sit in an extra seat. And with only one person in the seat, the car doesn’t meet the standards needed to drive in that lane. “.
Sheriff’s Department, as well as Greater Texas Parenting Plandeclined to comment on Bottone’s argument to the Dallas Morning News.
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