Woman who claimed unborn child as HOV passenger in Texas receives second ticket for same violation

A Texas woman who made headlines earlier this summer when she claimed her unborn child counted as a passenger after being pulled over for driving in the HOV lane has been issued another ticket for the same offense.

Brandy Bottone, a 32-year old mother from Plano, Texas – was cited for driving alone in the HOV lane, which is reserved for vehicles with two or more passengers in them, in July.

The incident occurred just days after the United States Supreme Court handed down a ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and stripped federal protection for abortions. Bottone claimed at the time that her unborn child was considered a life, based on her state’s abortion laws. She won her case.

About a month later, Bottone was pulled over once again for the same violation. According to Bottone, the officer recognized her immediately.

The current ticket is still pending, but since it was issued Bottone has given birth to a healthy baby girl. A representative for the Dallas District Attorney’s office told NBC News, “Yes, Ms. Bottone’s HOV case was dismissed. The defendant received a second HOV citation about a month after the first.”

Bottone’s case was one of the first high-profile arguments prompted by the national abortion debate following the end of Roe. At the time, Bottone told the officer, “Well (I’m) not trying to throw a political mix here, but with everything going on (with Roe v. Wade), this counts as a baby.”