‘Hand to God’: Florida woman ticketed for using phone in hand she doesn’t have gets case dismissed

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (WINK) — A Florida woman cited for holding a phone in her right hand while driving had her citation dismissed after proving to authorities she did not have that hand.

Body camera footage from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office shows 36-year-old Katie Thomas laughing when a deputy pulled her over in February. The deputy claimed he saw her driving with a device in her right hand.

Thomas posted the now viral video to social media, showcasing the awkward interaction and recalling what had happened when she told the officer she did not have her right hand.

"You did not have a phone in your hand?" the deputy asked.

"I did not," Thomas said.

"Hand to god?" he pressed.

"Hand to god," she said, holding up her right arm with no hand.

Despite the exchange, the deputy still issued Thomas a $116 citation for violating Florida's wireless communications while driving law. He told her she could dispute it.

Thomas told CBS News she hopes the entire interaction sparks better training and a broader conversation about disability awareness.

"What I would love people to take away is that limb difference is normal," Thomas said. "Somebody who looks different than you is normal. All of that is normal. Normal is whoever you're most comfortable being," she added.

A hearing was initially scheduled for Wednesday but court records show the citation was dismissed at the request of the deputy who issued it.