According to authorities, a Florida turtle briefly "detained" for hindering Friday's traffic was released with warning and selfie, authorities said.
MP L. Fontenot led the traffic stop on the "Florida Native" during a routine patrol along the Nocatee Parkway, wrote the St. John's County Sheriff's Office on Facebook.
Fontenot "quickly stopped" the Gopher turtle and had a "sincere" discussion about his slow and steady behavior on the road, the post added. The suspect was cooperative and the MP decided to release the turtle in the nearby woods "on his own" - but not before taking a picture of the meeting.
Vehicles contribute heavily to gopher tortoise deaths in the state, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee.
If the drivers are tempted to help a turtle as it passes, the Humane Society says to "gently transport them on the road in the same direction they were heading."
