Traffic stops can occur for various infractions such as malfunctioning tail or brake lights, expired license plates, ignoring stop signs or traffic signals, or exceeding speed limits. Generally, these stops result in a citation or a warning, after which the officer and driver part ways.
However, some traffic stops have led to unexpected outcomes beyond the usual ticket for a minor violation. These incidents have included encounters with fugitives, critical medical diagnoses, and the discovery of unusual items in unexpected locations. These ten traffic stops highlight the surprising and often remarkable events that can happen during routine law enforcement duties.
10. After Nearly 30 Years, Justice Is Finally Served
On August 16, 2022, Deputy Devan Blair from Oconee County, Georgia, pulled over a Mazda that was discovered to have no valid registration or insurance during a check. Unbeknownst to her, this stop would lead to the capture of a man wanted for a murder committed years ago. The driver, identifying himself as Rais Sekhem, presented a South Carolina driver’s license. However, upon checking law enforcement databases, it was found that the license was actively suspended. Sekhem was unsure about the reason for the suspension.
Deputy Lex Ogan provided assistance during the traffic stop, where deputies informed the driver of his arrest for driving with expired registration, lacking insurance, and a suspended license. The driver pleaded for leniency, emphasizing his family obligations and denying any criminal behavior.
However, it was soon revealed that he was indeed a criminal. Once fingerprinted at the Oconee County Jail, the driver was identified as 47-year-old Muhammed Bilal El-Amin, who had an active fugitive warrant from 1994 for shoot!ng his friend at a MARTA station in Atlanta. El-Amin had been evading capture for nearly thirty years until this traffic stop. He now faces charges including m*rder and possession of a firearm during a felony.
9. A Blessing in Disguise
On December 2, 2022, a report of a suspected drunk driver led police officers to a highway in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Officer Raymond Schoonmaker and Patrolman Bret Aton observed a red SUV driving erratically.
After stopping the vehicle, they questioned the driver, Tamara Palmer, who was not impaired by alcohol or drugs but was suffering from severe headaches. Recognizing the symptoms of a medical emergency, the officers called for an ambulance.
At the hospital, Palmer underwent tests and a CT scan, which revealed a large brain tumor. It is speculated that her exposure to radiation from the Chornobyl nuclear disaster in 1986 may have contributed to the tumor’s development.
Palmer had successful emergency surgery on December 4, 2022, and was discharged two days later. She celebrated her 58th birthday a week after the surgery, thankful for the officers’ intervention that saved her life.
8. Reptile Rendezvous
Around 3:15 a.m. on May 6, 2019, two deputies in Charlotte County observed a blue 2013 Chevrolet Silverado run a stop sign in Punta Gorda, Florida. After stopping the vehicle, they questioned the driver, Michael Cody Clemons, and his passenger, Ariel Michelle Marchan-Le Quire, about their activities.
Clemons claimed they were collecting frogs and snakes from an overpass. However, Florida law prohibits capturing venomous reptiles without a permit. Upon inspection, Clemons had personal items in his backpack, but Marchan-Le Quire had over 40 turtles in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles backpack.
The situation escalated when Marchan-Le Quire pulled a 1-foot alligator from her yoga pants. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission intervened and seized all the animals. Clemons received a warning and community service for the stop sign violation and turtle charges. Marchan-Le Quire faced probation, community service, and fines for her wildlife offenses.
7. At the Right Place at Just the Right Time
Around 7:30 a.m. on November 30, 2021, Detroit police stopped 37-year-old Stephanie Marie Binder for running a red light. This routine stop led to a crucial discovery that saved four children’s lives. When officers approached the van, they found four distressed children in the backseat.
Binder, who claimed she was rushing to get them to school, could not identify the school they attended. Suspicious of her behavior, the officers investigated further.
Although Binder claimed the children were hers, they denied it. This led to the revelation that Binder was driving a stolen vehicle and had kidnapped the four siblings on their way to school.
The children were safely returned to their family. Binder, who had a criminal history, faced charges including k!dnapping and unlawful imprisonment.
6. Furry Stowaway
Jennifer Hayes was driving back to Newcastle, Utah, from a family visit when Deputy Allen stopped her in La Verkin, Utah, for a traffic infraction on September 27, 2023.
As Deputy Allen was about to let Hayes go, he heard an unusual sound—a meow or purr—coming from under the car’s hood. Hayes explained that their six-month-old cat, Gus, had gone missing two days earlier, and they had driven approximately 200 miles (321 km) searching for him.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, Deputy Allen saw a paw sticking out from the grill. Although initially resistant, Gus was freed from the engine compartment in just four minutes and safely returned to his family.
The heartwarming rescue was captured on Deputy Allen’s body camera. Hayes did not receive a citation, and the traffic stop turned into a miraculous reunion for the family.
5. Do You Have A Weapon ?
Around 11:00 p.m. on September 7, 2015, police in Waco, Texas, stopped a 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser for a traffic violation. The driver, 30-year-old Gabriel Garcia, was found with 2.7 grams of methamphetam!ne hidden beneath his driver’s seat. A search of the vehicle revealed that the passenger, 31-year-old Ashley Cecilia Castaneda, had 29.5 grams of methamphetam!ne in her purse along with a digital scale. The incident occurred in a drug-free zone near an elementary school, resulting in methamphetam!ne possession charges for both Garcia and Castaneda.
The situation escalated when Castaneda, while being transported to jail, claimed she had concealed a handgun inside her body. Officers stopped and searched the vehicle, discovering a loaded .22 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol inside her vag!na. The firearm was seized, and Castaneda faced additional charges for illegal weapon possession.
On June 20, 2017, Castaneda was sentenced to 10 years of deferred probation for the methamphetam!ne charges, fined $2,500, and ordered to complete 300 hours of community service.
4. Surprise Roadside Reunion
On June 1, 2018, New Jersey State Trooper Michael Patterson pulled over Matthew Bailly in Kingwood Township for having tinted windows on his car. What started as a minor traffic stop soon led to an unexpected and touching discovery. During their conversation, Bailly mentioned he was a retired police officer from Piscataway, which happened to be Patterson’s hometown. When Patterson mentioned he grew up on Poe Place, Bailly recalled delivering a baby there 27 years ago as a rookie cop. He remembered the house’s appearance and even the baby’s name—Michael.
Patterson realized this was the same story his mother had told him every year on his birthday about a quick-thinking officer who delivered a baby. Recognizing the connection, Patterson introduced himself to Bailly and thanked him for the delivery that had taken place nearly three decades earlier. Bailly was let off with a warning to fix the window tinting. They exchanged contact details, and Patterson later arranged for his mother to meet Bailly at his home for another reunion.
3. Take Care Officer
On May 24, 2024, a trooper from the Texas Department of Public Safety stopped a Ford F-250 towing a horse trailer near McAllen, Texas. The driver, Jose Guadalupe Salinas, claimed the trailer contained two horses. However, upon inspection, officers discovered 27 undocumented immigrants inside, suffering from heat and poor ventilation. Three women were severely dehydrated and required medical attention. Salinas was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol, who are expected to file federal human smuggling charges against him.
2. When is it due ?
On April 12, 2023, deputies in Anderson, South Carolina, stopped Anthony Miller for dangerous driving, nearly colliding with a semi-truck. During the stop, both Miller and a pregnant Cemeka Mitchem appeared nervous and gave inconsistent details about Mitchem’s due date and their travel plans. Growing suspicious, deputies watched as Mitchem attempted to flee but accidentally dropped 1,500 grams of coca!ne from a fake belly she was wearing. Both were arrested on charges of coca!ne trafficking.
1. Hold the wheel
Around 4 p.m. on October 20, 2021, a Toronto traffic officer noticed a driver playing a flute with both hands. The driver started playing at a red light and continued as the light turned green. Upon stopping the vehicle, the officer found that the driver, who was in his 40s, was also listening to music on an iPod. The driver was cited for starting from a stopped position without ensuring safety, according to the Ontario Traffic Act.