The first thing that crosses a Hills Senior’s mind in the morning is usually ‘Will I make it to school on time?’ and ‘What should I eat for lunch?’. Hills Senior Michael Beutel experienced a similar morning on Thursday, March 13th with the shocking addition of being pulled over and “going viral” for it.

During the week of NJGPA testing for the juniors, Beutel and most students had a delayed start to school. His mom made him a turkey sandwich for lunch which he decided to eat on his way to school.

Before he could finish his meal and park at school, a Park Ridge police officer pulled him over because he claimed to see a cell phone in Beutel’s hand while driving, a major driving danger. When Beutel explained that it was not his phone but a sandwich, the officer responded, “I know what a sandwich looks like.”

This was the line that sent the internet into a spiral. 

Despite the officer not writing Beutel a ticket and letting him go with a warning, this published DashCam footage made its way to almost every corner of the internet with the help of accounts that re-edited his original video for short-form content. The most famous of these was on TikTok.  

There have been many successful videos posted on TikTok of the interaction with the first gaining traction on Friday, March 14th. The most famous however was posted by an account dedicated to police content, @bp_cast1. The video currently has 23.7 million views, 1.4 million likes and 4,469 comments. 

Comments consisted of critiquing his music taste, arguing the legality of eating while driving, debating how to handle this situation, spreading negativity towards either him or the cop, and, inevitably, pointing out the hilarity of a sandwich being mistaken for a phone, earning him the name “sandwich boy.”

This overnight fame has not only affected Beutel but the Hills community too. In the past week, students have shown teachers the video, and almost everyone, like the internet comments, has their opinions. Thus, Beutel was interviewed to understand the situation and his experience. 

Beutel was just as confused as everyone else when he was pulled over. He claimed that he was “caught off guard,” thinking he did nothing wrong but also believing the adamant officer, especially since he was still a little tired from waking up not so long ago. 

If he did not have a dashcam, he would have likely stood up for himself more because he would have had no evidence for court and no verification that the cop was correct or incorrect. 

Beutel has seen the comments and reported that the reactions were a “nice split” between positive and negative feedback. While many appreciated his respectful demeanor during the stop, others found ways to critique his chewing or music choice.

The thousands of comments from different videos on different platforms, and even Reddit, can cause anyone distress, especially with his voice and face attached to the internet sensation. 

“It’s stressful. Last night I was up until one in the morning thinking about it and I couldn’t go to sleep,” he said. 

The incident has also prompted discussions about the power dynamics of police interactions. Beutel recommends that drivers use dashcams, like him, because it would have helped him if he had gone to court and ultimately, the footage made him go viral. 

In terms of taking advantage of this newfound attention, Beutel uploaded a podcast on the same YouTube channel where the dashcam footage was posted, @FriendGroupAy. He also stated he would continue to fulfill the purpose of his YouTube channel: to document the lives of him and his friends for their future. Additionally, now that his new fame secured him over 1,000 subscribers, his channel can be monetized, creating financial opportunities for his future.  

The interview concluded with words of respect to the officer, advice for others who may get pulled over, and a raving review of the famous sandwich:  “turkey, lettuce tomato mayo on white bread…my mom made it.”

“Match the cops’ energy and make sure to stay respectful,” he advised.

This was a rare example of a misunderstanding by an officer and a rare situation where the person pulled over had evidence via an internal dashcam. While Beutel was the focus of the fame, a major reason for its popularity was the legal aspect that interested people.

Security Guard and former Woodcliff Lake police officer Matthew Miller shared his insights on Beutel’s viral interaction, advice on what to do when pulled over, and driving safety in general.  

The following steps were advised by Mr. Miller:

1. Pull over and make sure the car pulling you over is an actual police car (marked unit: red and blue lights, siren, “Police” on the side of the car, etc.).

2. Roll down your window, lower your music, and put your hands on the steering wheel.

• If it is night, turn on your overhead car light, for yourself and the officers’ vision.

3. Do not move around a lot, it can make an officer nervous. No “furtive movements.” 

• Be prepared before being pulled over. Your license and registration location should always be known, so no need to rush. Tip: Do not hold onto expired papers, and keep your glove compartment neat.

4. When the officer asks for your license and registration, indicate where they are, and give the officer what they need. 

5. Be respectful!

Miller started with the root of much debate. When asked whether eating while driving is illegal, he affirmed that it was on the same level as looking at a phone because, although normalized in the United States, it is distracted driving.

“Yes, it is illegal, not only illegal, it’s a motor vehicle infraction. It’s a ticket…When you’re driving, you should be driving. When you’re eating, you should be eating. You shouldn’t be doing both at the same time…It’s hard to do two things at once. It’s hard to drive. It’s not as easy as you think,” he said. 

He added that most cops, like the one in the video, will let a respectful young person off with a warning because it could inspire understanding and prevent future distracted driving accidents like one he witnessed as an officer in which a young woman bent down to pick up her cigarette and her car swerved with her movement, causing a terrible accident.  

On Beutel’s decision not to argue with the officer, he agreed that it is best not to argue with officers on the roadside, suggesting it is better to accept a ticket and present your evidence in court. Miller also recognizes that not everyone has dashcams and hopes not everyone needs them, believing in good cops and justice in courts. 

Lastly, he shared his personal approach to pulling over Hills students and new drivers in general.

“If I pulled [any] one of you over, I would have never written you a ticket the first time I pulled you over…unless it’s something [very] bad…[but if you] argue with me, and be combative, then you almost paint me into a corner where I need to write you a ticket,” he said.

The original video posted by Beutel on the @FriendGroupAy YouTube Channel can be viewed here: