WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On Friday evening, Branden Wallich was driving his motorcycle on S. River Road when he said he was almost hit by a suspected drunk driver.
Wallich said after the near-miss, he rounded the corner and saw a patrol car parked on the side of the road.
Wallich went to talk to the officer but was getting no response. He walked closer to the car and realized the officer was not responding because it was a mannequin.
He took some pictures for proof and then he called the Yolo County Sheriff's Office to report what he saw.
Turns out, decoy dummy deputies are not new to the Yolo County Sheriff's Office.
Sergeant Charles Hoyt said marked patrol cars with mannequins or dummies in the driver's seat are frequently used for visible deterrents.
Hoyt said the overall goal is to achieve safer roadways.
Wallich drives S. River Road daily and said he often sees people speeding. Although using decoy cars is common, Wallich wished there was more transparency for situations like his. He said if he was in an accident, a decoy would not have been able to help.
"This decoy did not have legs," Wallich said sarcastically.
