A museum in Illinois has been issued a speeding ticket for the famous KITT car from the 1980s television series Knight Rider - despite the vehicle having sat motionless in its exhibit for years.
The Volo Museum said New York City's Department of Finance had sent it a fine after a traffic camera allegedly caught the iconic black car exceeding the speed limit in a school zone on April 22.
"Well, this is a new one... We got this in the mail today. This is 100 per cent legit. A traffic camera captured Knight Rider's KITT speeding down the streets of New York City," the museum wrote.
The confusion arose because a traffic camera in New York captured a novelty licence plate identical to the one displayed on the television car.
"The camera captured the novelty licence plate (not a real plate…and also a California plate)," the museum explained.
The city's automated system then linked the replica plate directly to the Volo Museum, coming up with a $50 (£36) fine.
"Their official system ties the novelty plate to the Volo Museum, and we got a bill for $50!" the museum added.
The posted speed limit in the school zone was 25mph, whilst the ticket claimed the driver was travelling at 36mph.
The Volo Museum was slapped with a fine after its KITT car was snared in NYC
|GETTY
"You can't make this up! Our KITT hasn't moved from our museum in years!" the museum said.
KITT, which stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand, was a black 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am featured in the popular television programme.
It was equipped with sophisticated AI software which helped the main character, Michael Knight, fighting crime.
According to fan speculation online, the fictional car could reach speeds of up to 350mph - a little faster than its alleged 36mph offence.
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A car with a 'KNIGHT' numberplate was snagged in the Big Apple
|VOLO MUSEUM
David Hasselhoff portrayed Knight throughout all four seasons of the show, which aired from 1982 to 1986.
Now, the museum has joked that "The Hoff" owes it a $50 fine.
According to 6ABC, the museum has requested a hearing to dispute the penalty.
Social media users found the situation amusing, with many joking that the AI-powered car may have grown restless.
The museum has joked that 'The Hoff' owes it a $50 fine
|GETTY
"You THINK that KITT hasn't moved in years, but you forget KITT can drive anywhere he wants without Michael Knight.
"KITT's been out travelling and breaking the law," one commenter wrote.
Another suggested that if it truly were KITT, the clever vehicle would have flipped its number plate before passing the camera.
A third joked: "Maybe KITT broke out one night and went joyriding across the nation."