PHOENIX (AP) — The Grinch came early for an Arizona driver who tried to pass off an inflatable figure of the Dr. Seuss character as a passenger.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a state trooper last week noticed a car in a high-occupancy vehicle lane on Interstate 10 in Phoenix with a "Seusspicious-looking" green passenger.

While the gag may have caused the officer's heart to grow, it did not stop the driver from getting cited for being in the HOV lane during a restricted time.

The agency, however, could not help but post a photo of the Grinch figure with the driver's face blurred...