Justin Hughes / Jalopnik

Fans of a specific era hold dear KITT, the glossy black Pontiac Trans Am from "Knight Rider," famous for its sharp wit and arsenal of crime-busting tech. Incredibly, KITT has seemingly jumped off the screen to earn an automated speeding ticket in a New York City school zone, according to ABC 10 News. That's a neat feat, given the car's ironclad alibi: it has sat on display at an Illinois museum for multiple years.

A speed camera caught a black Pontiac Trans Am sporting the California plate "KNIGHT" on Ocean Parkway, reportedly traveling 36 mph in a 25 mph zone. The speed itself isn't in question, but the plate is fictional in every sense. The old saying fits perfectly: "To err is human, to really foul things up requires a computer" - although KITT might object. With the Foundation for Law and Government being make-believe too, the sensible move would be forwarding the ticket to the actual owner of that plate, vehicle be damned.

It belongs in a museum

NYC instead mailed the ticket to Volo Auto Sales in Volo, Illinois. The outfit runs a classic car dealership alongside a theme park boasting Jurassic Park attractions, Titanic displays, and an automotive museum that includes a KITT replica. Volo Museum isn't the only KITT showcase either. I've climbed into a replica at the Celebrity Car Museum in Branson, Missouri, and eyed a production-used KITT at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles. Precisely how New York City's system targeted Volo remains unknown. Little wonder over 40 percent of the city's speed camera tickets end up tossed.

That said, envision an alternate reality where Volo's displayed KITT is the bona fide Knight Industries Two Thousand, concealed in full view. Not some prop version, but the genuine AI-powered machine. It could have slipped out, engaged Super Pursuit Mode for a clandestine New York mission, then raced back undetected.

Alas, that daydream crumbles under scrutiny. The authentic KITT would have detected the camera and jammed it before any photos, plus its core programming to safeguard human life would prevent speeding through a school zone altogether.