Actions

Driver: I wasn't on my phone, I was eating a hash brown

Driver: I wasn't on my phone, I was eating a hash brown
Posted

A Connecticut man who says he was wrongly cited for distracted driving after police mistook a McDonald’s hash brown for a cellphone is continuing his legal fight.

The Hour reports that Westport police gave Jason Stiber a $300 distracted driving ticket in April. The Westport man challenged the charge and lost in court.

He was granted a retrial that’s scheduled to start Dec. 7.

Stiber says the officer thought a hash brown he was eating while driving was a cellphone. Stiber says phone records show he didn’t make any calls around the time he was pulled over, plus he has Bluetooth so has no reason to hold a phone while driving.

Lt. Jillian Cabana says the department stands by its story but couldn’t comment further due to pending litigation.

___

Information from: The Hour, http://www.thehour.com

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Thursday

11/20/2025

Rain

-° / 49°

100%

Friday

11/21/2025

Partly Cloudy

59° / 46°

8%

Saturday

11/22/2025

Clear

63° / 45°

6%

Sunday

11/23/2025

Mostly Clear

64° / 46°

7%

Monday

11/24/2025

Partly Cloudy

65° / 45°

8%

Tuesday

11/25/2025

Partly Cloudy

62° / 45°

7%

Wednesday

11/26/2025

Partly Cloudy

63° / 45°

6%

Thursday

11/27/2025

Partly Cloudy

65° / 47°

6%