The Wisconsin State Patrol reported pulling over a sedan on Sunday afternoon in Polk County that had a snowmobile strapped to the roof.
The trooper reportedly pulled over the driver on Highway 63 in northwestern Wisconsin after seeing the snowmobile perched sideways on top of the Toyota Corolla, the Star Tribune reports.
The driver, 23-year-old driver Matthew Schmit of Clayton, told the trooper he had just bought the snowmobile and was driving it over to a friend’s house to show it to him.
“I know it looks sketchy, but we had it strapped down and shook it,” he said, according to the Star Tribune. “Up like in this kind of region, stuff like this gets seen all the time, but more like the back roads.”
Schmit also told the trooper that the Minnesota license plates on his sedan were the result of his purchasing the car in the Twin Cities last spring. He hadn't gotten around to transferring the title to Wisconsin.
Schmit was issued a warning about his hauling method and cited for failing to buckle up, according to Wisconsin Department of Transportation spokeswoman Christena O’Brien.
After the trooper gave Schmit the $10 ticket, she told him to “just turn around and drive it home,” he said.
On Monday, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation published a photo of Schmit’s vehicle on Twitter, writing a public service announcement alongside it.
Folks, don’t try this at home. Our State Patrol friends stopped this vehicle Sunday on US 63 in Polk County because this isn’t a safe way to transport a snowmobile. If you’re transporting equipment this winter, you are advised to safely haul it secured on a trailer or in a truck. pic.twitter.com/2LLHbew529
— WisDOT Northwest Region (@WisDOTnorthwest) November 2, 2020
“Folks, don’t try this at home,” read the tweet. “This isn’t a safe way to transport a snowmobile. If you’re transporting equipment this winter, you are advised to safely haul it secured on a trailer or in a truck.”
