Transformers-themed Mustang cop car stopped by real Camaro patrol car

The California Highway Patrol pulled over a Ford Mustang decked out as Barricade, the Decepticon police car from the Transformers franchise, complete with forward-facing red lights. The driver was cited for two violations of the California Vehicle Code, which prohibits private vehicles from resembling official police cars. In an ironic twist, the stop was made by a limited-edition Camaro patrol car.

Full text

CHP stopped a Transformers-themed Mustang with forward-facing red lights.

The driver was cited for two California Vehicle Code violations.

California prohibits vehicles from resembling official police cars.

Most folks enjoy movies, but some go as far as to drive a car from the silver screen. That ironically got one fan in a Ford Mustang in hot water with the California Highway Patrol . The pony car in question has the markings of Barricade, the Decepticon police car from the Transformers franchise . It was no match for the real limited-edition Camaro patrol car behind it.

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Read: A Motorcyclist Did 130 MPH To Escape The CHP, He Forgot To Look Up

According to CHP’s West Valley Area office, officers stopped the Mustang after noticing it was equipped with unauthorized forward-facing red lights. While movie-inspired replicas are a familiar sight at car shows and fan events, California law draws a firm line when those modifications begin resembling an actual emergency vehicle.

CHP

Photos shared by the agency show the black-and-white Mustang wearing prominent “BARRICADE” graphics, Decepticon logos, faux “9-1-1 Emergency Response” markings, and the slogan “To punish and enslave,” a nod to the fictional character. Officers say they initially stopped the Mustang after noticing unauthorized forward-facing red lights. Photos show what appear to be red DRLs on the car, but it’s unclear if those are the lights in question.

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During the stop, the driver was cited not only for the lighting but also because the vehicle’s black-and-white livery and markings resembled those of a police vehicle. Whether the livery alone would have attracted CHP’s attention is unclear, but California has a specific law prohibiting vehicles from resembling police cruisers, so the faux patrol car earned a second citation.

CHP

If those weren’t enough, police hit them with a third citation for having a tinted windshield. The lesson here is that catching the attention of law enforcement appears quite easy when the car you’re in looks like theirs. Even more so if the lights in said car happen to be red. And in this driver’s case, that attention brought on more tickets and more hassle than they probably expected.

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