VIDEO: Costume-wearing truck driver may face distracted driving charges

Police say they are looking to prosecute a truck driver after he was filmed driving while dressed as an elephant. 

The clip was filmed on the M6 near Carlisle in Cumbria, England last month and was subsequently posted to Tik Tok. 

Since the surfacing of the video, police say they are “making enquiries to trace and prosecute” both the costumed driver and the truck driver filming him.

“We would urge all drivers to concentrate on driving safely and behaving in a responsible manner while behind the wheel. Officers from the Constabulary’s Mobile Support Group are making enquiries to trace and prosecute both drivers,” local police said in a statement. 

In the video, the truck driver can be seen wearing a furry elephant costume over his head as he drives. He then turns towards the filming truck driver and briefly takes his hands off of the steering wheel before hitting the gas and pulling ahead of the filming driver. 

Martin O’Niell, owner of the trucking company that employs the truck driver, has since defended his driver, pointing out that there is no specific law against driving while wearing an elephant mask. 

“I don’t think it’s against the law for a driver to wear an elephant mask,” he said to The Daily Mail. “I don’t see no law that you shouldn’t wear a mask.”

“We expect all drivers to behave responsibly. Even more so when they are driving such large and dangerous vehicles, said deputy leader of Carlisle City Council Gareth Ellis.

“Lapses of judgement while driving can result in mistakes that last a lifetime. I am sure the police will be involved if they can determine a crime has been committed.”

Check out the wild video, below.