A University of North Florida student who was being issued a speeding ticket was told by the officer she could avoid points on her license by paying the officer a roadside fee instead of a traffic ticket. That has landed the Lawtey police officer in hot water and he is now being investigated for asking for a cash payment on the side of a road.
Twenty-year old Bonnie McCowan was pulled over for driving 55 M.P.H. in a 45 M.P.H. zone. She was pulled over on Highway 301 in North Florida between Gainesville and Jacksonville. She says when the officer pulled her over for speeding he gave her three options. He told her she could pay the ticket and get four points on her license. She could contest the Florida traffic ticket in court or she could pay a $191 roadside fee and avoid the traffic ticket and the points that go along with it.
The officer told McCOwan that the only form of payment she could make for the roadside fee was cash. Even though the college student thought it was strange, she called a friend to meet her on the road with the money. McCowan credited her trust of police officers for falling victim to what amounted to a bribe. Luckily the friend she called to bring her the money informed a police dispatcher of what was going on and they responded to the situation by showing up at the scene of the traffic stop.
The officer in question was not named in the report but according to the department he had only been on the job for 10 weeks. They went on to say that the officer is still considered a unpaid auxiliary officer right now. Lawtey officials are looking for other drivers who were offered the same roadside fee offer.