BELGRADE - A man suffering from a psychiatric disorder directed traffic in Montenegro's capital, Podgorica, for at least half an hour until police officers caught him, local media reported.

The 36-year-old man, dressed in a police uniform, started directing traffic with a baton at a busy crossroad in the center on Sunday evening.

"Nobody noticed anything and everyone obeyed his orders. I was not surprised that there was a police officer at the crossroad as there were a large number of cars here due to repair works on nearby roads," a witness said.

However, when a police car arrived the man threw off his cap and started running away, but was knocked down by a passing car. The man was admitted to a nearby hospital and was diagnosed with concussion and minor injuries.

Police discovered that the man was a patient at a local psychiatric clinic, who had committed similar offenses before. The man said that he had been trying to make his dream of becoming a police officer come true.