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No impersonator! Driver had no idea car was flashing police lights

Posted at 5:57 PM, Sep 06, 2023
and last updated 2023-09-07 12:35:38-04

SALT LAKE CITY — A driver on her way to grab lunch Wednesday was surprised to see so many cars pulling over in front of her for no apparent reason. It wasn't until later that night that the driver realized she was the unintended focus of police "impersonator" search.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Salt Lake City police issued a warning for drivers to be on the lookout for someone apparently impersonating a law enforcement officer on Interstate 80, complete with flashing red and blue lights.

At the time, police were unsure if the driver was using the flashing lights in an attempt to pull someone over or to get through traffic at a quicker pace.

A photo of the vehicle was shared across the city with police asking anyone who had information to call the department immediately.

Surprisingly, it was the driver of the suspicious vehicle who called police herself, telling them it was her car and that she had no idea about the lights, which are controlled by a smartphone app.

The woman said she did notice cars pulling over in front of her on the highway and couldn't understand why. It wasn't until someone in the driver's family sent her an article about the impersonator search that she put two-and-two together and called police.

Officials determined the woman was not impersonating a police officer and the driver has since removed the lights.