ST. LOUIS — People in Missouri got an emergency alert Tuesday afternoon that told them to look out for a purple and green car coming out of Gotham City, Missouri.
The problem? There is no Gotham City, Missouri.
The emergency alert was meant to be a test that was sent inadvertently, a tweet from the Missouri State Highway Patrol said minutes after the incident. A statement from the highway patrol said an incorrect option was selected, sending the test to the public.
The full statement is as follows.
"Today, a routine test of Missouri’s Blue Alert system was inadvertently sent to wireless devices statewide. The Patrol regularly tests the Blue Alert system to ensure it works properly when needed. During the test, an option was incorrectly selected, allowing the message to be disseminated to the public. There is no Emergency Alert at this time. The Patrol appreciates the public’s understanding and support of the Emergency Alert program."
The alert warned people to look out for a purple and green 1978 Dodge 3700GT with a license plate "UKIDME". That matches the description of the cars driven by the Joker's goons in Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman" film starring Michael Keaton.
About 20 minutes after the initial alert was sent, the highway patrol sent another alert stating the first one was a test.
Shortly after the alert was sent, "Joker" was trending on Twitter, with many users making the connection.