Wisconsin trooper pulls over two vehicles at once: a Minnesota car and the snowmobile on the roof

A Wisconsin state trooper pulled over two vehicles in one stop: a car with Minnesota license plates and a snowmobile precariously perched on top of it.

The sedan was pulled over about 1:20 p.m. Sunday on Hwy. 63 near Clayton, Wis., after the trooper saw the Polaris sled sitting perpendicular on the roof of the car, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.

"Folks, don't try this at home," read a tweet posted Monday by the Northwest Region of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). "This isn't a safe way to transport a snowmobile. If you're transporting equipment this winter, you are advised to safely haul it secured on a trailer or in a truck."

Matthew R. Schmit, 23, was issued a warning about the ill-advised hauling technique because he was "over width," said WisDOT spokeswoman Christena O'Brien.

The trooper did cite Schmit, who lives in Clayton, for failure to buckle up, O'Brien added.

Schmit said he had just bought the snowmobile and was driving it over to a friend's house to show him.

"I know it looks sketchy, but we had it strapped down and shook it," he said. "Up like in this kind of region, stuff like this gets seen all the time, but more like the back roads."

After the trooper gave Schmit the $10 ticket, she told him to "just turn around and drive it home," he said. He admitted stopping for a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant before making the 3-mile trip back to his place.

As for the Minnesota plates on his car, Schmit explained that he bought the vehicle as "my beater car" last spring in the Twin Cities and hadn't gotten around to transferring the title.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482