Imagine this: You’re driving home, minding your business, when you spot a drunk driver swerving like they’re in a bad action movie. You do the right thing. That is, you call 911. You even stick around to help police catch the guy. Hero of the night, right? Nope. Instead, the cops hand you a ticket—for breaking the curfew for a teen driver. That’s exactly what happened to one Pennsylvania teen who went from Good Samaritan to, well, courtroom defendant.

A teen’s good deed punished–for breaking curfew

It started as a quiet drive home from a friend’s house. But as the teen turned onto a dark stretch of road, he spotted a car weaving between lanes. The driver wasn’t just distracted—they were a danger to anyone nearby. Concerned, the teen pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

The operator asked him to stay behind the drunk driver, keeping a safe distance, and provide updates so the police could catch up. The teen hesitated. It was getting late—close to Pennsylvania’s 11 p.m. driving curfew for teens. But the chance of someone getting hurt pushed him to act.

He followed the car for several miles until flashing red and blue lights finally appeared. The drunk driver was pulled over and promptly failed every sobriety test the officers threw his way. Relieved, the teen pulled over as well, ready to give a statement.

But then things took a frustrating turn.

When the teen handed over his license, the officer raised an eyebrow. “You’re under 18. You’re not allowed to be driving because it’s past 11.” the cop said. The teen tried to explain: he’d been heading home before curfew but stayed out because 911 told him to.

The police officer said, “It doesn’t matter—even if driving past curfew prevented World War III, the law is the law.” And with that, he wrote the teen up a ticket for driving past curfew.

To make matters worse, the cop added that driving home himself would result in another ticket. The teen had no choice but to call his parents for a ride.

I followed and reported a drunk driver, then I got a ticket for driving past curfew
byu/throwaway_18701 inlegaladvice

Understanding your legal defenses

So, what can you do if you’re punished for doing the right thing? Attorney Andrew Flusche says there are potential defenses to explore, like “justification” or even “entrapment.”

Justification applies when breaking a minor law prevents a greater harm. In this case, the teen’s choice to stay out past curfew might qualify because it helped stop a dangerous drunk driver. Flusche explains the general idea is that, “The OP was justified in doing what he did under the law because there was a potential harm to other people.”

Entrapment, on the other hand, is when law enforcement convinces someone to break a law they wouldn’t have otherwise. Flusche says it could be entrapment if, “One officer said, ‘Hey, no worries, you’re not going to get in trouble for curfew; you can keep driving tonight,’ and then another officer came along and ticketed you.”

Getting ticketed for doing the right thing feels wrong on every level. But if you’re in a similar situation, don’t just accept it.  You can always reach out to a lawyer to see if it’s possible to mount a defense. A professional can help you figure out if your situation meets these criteria—or if fighting the ticket even makes sense financially. As Flusche advises, “You never have to just pay a ticket. It’s always a good idea to call a lawyer right away and see what your options are.”

You can see the rest of Flusche’s advice for yourself in the video below: