Pregnant Texas woman gets second ticket for driving in HOV lane

A pregnant woman from Texas who sparked national attention for driving in a high-occupancy lane with just herself and her unborn baby in June was hit with a second traffic ticket earlier this month, according to authorities.

Brandy Bottone, 32, argued that laws implemented after the overturning of Roe v. Wade effectively deemed her unborn child another human being and thus granted her the right to drive in the HOV lane, which requires more than one passenger. She was hit with the second ticket on Aug. 3, NBC reported.

‘SHE IS A PERSON’: PREGNANT WOMAN ARGUES UNBORN BABY IS PASSENGER FOR HOV LANE

“You again?” she recounted an officer telling her while writing up the second ticket, according to an interview with the Dallas Morning News. “So, when are you going to have this baby?”

“Tomorrow,” she quipped, and the officer wished her luck before handing her the ticket.

When she received the first ticket, Bottone was reportedly told that the second passenger had to be “outside the body.” However, the first ticket against Bottone was dismissed earlier this month, per the report.

“Based on a review of the facts and circumstances of this case, and the applicable law, the state moves to dismiss the case,” the Dallas County District Attorney’s office wrote in a motion to dismiss the first citation, per NBCDFW.

A challenge against the second ticket is pending, and Bottone said she refrained from divulging the second ticket until recently because of advice from her lawyer.

“Nobody is answering whether it’s right or wrong,” she added in an interview with the Dallas Morning News. “They dismissed it. Why do I have to change my belief? … It doesn’t answer the question. Did I get it right or did I get it wrong?”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Controversy from her initial June 29 citation garnered national attention and became a focal point for pro-abortion rights activists enraged by the overturning of Roe, which had taken place days prior on June 24. A spokesperson for the Dallas County district attorney confirmed the second citation to NBC.

“Yes, Ms. Bottone’s HOV case was dismissed,” the representative told the outlet. “The defendant received a second HOV citation about a month after the first. This second citation is currently pending.”