A Florida woman who was ticketed for allegedly using her cellphone while driving with her “right hand” is speaking out after authorities dismissed the citation — despite the fact that she does not have a right hand.
The incident, which quickly went viral online, involved adaptive athlete and social media creator Katie, known online as “Slightlyoff.balance.”
According to reports, she was pulled over by a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy in February after the officer claimed he observed her holding and manipulating a cellphone with her right hand while driving on North Dixie Highway in Lake Worth Beach, Florida.
@slightlyoff.balance Merry Christmas! Tas the night before court…. #bodycam #palmbeach #court #florida
The citation carried a $116 fine under Florida’s distracted driving law.
There was just one major problem: Katie was born with a limb difference and does not have a right hand.
Body camera footage from the traffic stop later circulated widely on social media. In the video, the deputy tells Katie he saw her using a phone in her right hand. Katie responds by raising her right arm and pointing out that she physically could not have committed the violation as described.
“So you wanna just call this a day?” she asks in the footage while laughing in disbelief.
Despite the misunderstanding, the deputy proceeded to issue the citation.
The story exploded online after Katie shared videos documenting the stop and her efforts to challenge the ticket in court. Thousands of viewers reacted with disbelief, with many criticizing the officer’s handling of the situation and questioning how the citation could have been issued in the first place.
According to court records and multiple media reports, the citation was ultimately dismissed before the scheduled court hearing after the deputy requested the case be dropped due to “lack of evidence.”
Speaking publicly after the dismissal, Katie said the experience highlighted broader issues surrounding awareness and interactions involving people with disabilities.
The incident has also sparked renewed discussion about Florida’s distracted driving laws. Legal experts interviewed by local media noted that Florida law specifically prohibits manually typing or entering text into a device while driving, except in certain restricted zones such as school or construction zones. Simply holding a phone is not automatically illegal in every circumstance under state law.
Social media users have continued sharing clips from the traffic stop, with many praising Katie for remaining calm and humorous throughout the encounter.
While the citation has now been dismissed, the case has become a viral example of how quickly traffic stops and misunderstandings can escalate — especially when assumptions are made before facts are verified.
@slightlyoff.balance
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