Advertisement

A Lakeland man decided to eat pancakes in a crosswalk, and the police were not amused

 
Kiaron Thomas, 21, faces charges of obstruction of a roadway after a prank caught on video showed him eating pancakes in a Lakeland crosswalk. (Lakeland police)
Kiaron Thomas, 21, faces charges of obstruction of a roadway after a prank caught on video showed him eating pancakes in a Lakeland crosswalk. (Lakeland police)
Published March 24, 2017

LAKELAND — Kiaron Thomas went to iHop this week and decided to enjoy his pancakes in the middle of a crosswalk at Memorial Boulevard and Brunnell Parkway.

Police didn't seem to find the humor in the strange prank, and now the 21-year-old faces charges he placed an obstruction in the roadway and disrupted the flow of traffic.

He probably would have gotten away with Tuesday's pancake stunt if it wasn't caught on video and posted to Facebook. Once it was, the footage made it to Lakeland police, who saw Thomas tagged as the pancake-eater.

The video shows him sitting at small folding table. He has a plate of pancakes and syrup in front of him. As a tractor-trailer and a Jeep approach the crosswalk, Thomas begins chowing down.

The vehicles stay stationary for a while, and presumably when the light changed, drove around Thomas and went on their way. The video is just under a minute long.

Someone called police to report the odd sight. But by the time officers arrived, Thomas and his pancakes were gone.

He later told investigators it was a prank and he lives right by the intersection.

Police said his "actions prevented vehicles from moving and created an obstruction."

He has a court date scheduled for April 25.