A man who was in jail when his car was caught by a red-light camera claims the New York Police Department went joyriding in it.

According to the New York Post, Rashad Lewis, a 25-year-old student, was incarcerated over fraud allegations on the morning of August 4 after being pulled over for allegedly running two red lights.

He and his car - a Mercedes-Benz SL convertible - were taken to a nearby station, and his vehicle was "vouchered" for impoundment at a police lot in Queens, New York. Documents showed the car was described as being in "good condition" at 1:23 am, according to The Post.

Lewis was initially held overnight, before being taken to another station and being freed a week later on bail. But while he was behind bars, his car was apparently on the road - and when it was returned to him, it was in "not so good" condition.

"My back window was broken, my driver's-side door was keyed, and my bumper was scratched up," Lewis told The Post. "They were driving my car with the windows down and having a ball joy riding my vehicle."

On top of that, the driver of the Mercedes-Benz SL was sprung by a red-light camera on 12th Avenue and West 34th Street at 2:12 pm.

"While everything is going on, I received the red-light ticket in the mail on August 15. My first reaction was 'are you guys serious?' I had a whole bunch of emotions running through my mind. I felt violated. I don't know if they could have committed a crime in my vehicle," Lewis is quoted as saying.

It's not known whether the driver of the car was an NYPD employee or a member of the public. The NYPD refused to comment to the Post.

- FFX Aus