Video Chicago police cruiser rammed during street takeover
Video captured the moment a driver rammed a Chicago police cruiser during an overnight teen takeover, pushing the car backward as teens surrounded it and jumped on the hood while onlookers cheered. (Credit: Chicago Contrarian)
One might assume that a way to guarantee you never receive a traffic citation in the post is to place your vehicle in a museum and simply prevent it from experiencing the exhilaration of the open road.
However, that assumption is incorrect.
It appears that this strategy is ineffective even when the vehicle in question is a replica of KITT, the renowned talking car from the classic television series “Knight Rider,” starring David Hasselhoff.
David Hasselhoff poses with KITT, the talking Pontiac Trans-Am from the series ‘Knight Rider.’ (Photo by Jörg Carstensen/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The Volo Museum, situated outside of Chicago, houses a museum dedicated to automobiles. Among its exhibits is a reproduction of KITT, the Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am whose voice was provided by the esteemed William Daniels (who later portrayed Mr. Feeney in “Boy Meets World”).
While it’s a remarkable addition to any car collection, the museum was understandably perplexed upon receiving a traffic ticket by mail, alleging that KITT had been detected traveling at 36 mph in a 25 mph zone in Brooklyn.
The vehicle had never left the museum premises, let alone departed the state. Nevertheless, according to the Associated Press, the citation included a photograph of a black Trans-Am bearing a California license plate that read “KNIGHT,” caught by a traffic camera.
Veteran character actor William Daniels was the voice of KITT. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
This, naturally, is the identical license plate featured in the television show and adorns the Volo Museum’s replica.
Therefore, how did a legitimate traffic ticket find its way to a museum possessing a replica of the car from “Knight Rider?”
The answer remains elusive. New York City has offered no explanation, and the museum shares the general bewilderment.
“The fact that we are legally associated with a movie prop is quite interesting,” stated Jim Wojdyla, marketing director for the Volo Museum. “We are recognized for our collection of Hollywood vehicles from television and films, but I have absolutely no clue how we were registered from a ticket issued in New York, linked to California plates, and then associated with the Volo Museum in Illinois. We are still attempting to ascertain the details.”
KITT from the 1982 TV series, ‘Knight Rider.’ (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Curiously, the same Trans-Am has been implicated in five additional unpaid tickets within New York City.
The museum has formally requested a hearing to contest the citation, and it seems probable that they will prevail.