Missouri Highway Patrol mistakenly sends out Batman emergency alert for Joker's car
Missouri Highway Patrol said the statewide alert was supposed to be a test
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}No, it wasn’t the Bat-Signal.
Missourians received an "Emergency Alert" on their phones Tuesday that made references to the superhero Batman after authorities say a test alert was inadvertently deployed statewide.
The alert sent out around 4:52 p.m. read: "GOTHAM CITY MO PURPLE/GREEN 1978 DODGE 3700 GT MO UKIDME."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A test alert making Batman references was mistakenly sent out in Missouri. (Missouri State Highway Patrol)
Gotham City is the fictional home of the Caped Crusader. The car described in the message, a purple and green Dodge 3700GT, was driven by the goons of Batman’s archenemy Joker in the 1989 superhero film "Batman" directed by Tim Burton.
But the Missouri State Highway Patrol responded minutes after the alert was sent, saying that the Dark Knight wasn’t needed this time.
The agency said that during a routine test of Missouri’s Blue Alert system, the alert was inadvertently sent to wireless devices statewide.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"During the test, an option was incorrectly selected, allowing the message to be disseminated to the public," the MSHP said. "There is no Emergency Alert at this time."
But news of the accidental message didn’t stop social media from poking fun.