‘Out of this world’: US police pull over UFO-style car

It was certainly a close encounter of a different kind for police officers in the US when they saw a UFO-like vehicle driving along a road in the Midwestern state of Missouri.

Police from Crawford county pulled over the silver spaceship car during a traffic stop for lane violation, as well as having an expired licence plate from the nearby state of Indiana.

Fortunately for the “friendly humanoids” in the vehicle, the officers saw the humour in the situation.

“You never know what will be travelling through Crawford County, but this one was a little out of this world,” said a June 29 Facebook post by the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff office said the occupants of the vehicle, “who have come in peace”, were headed to a festival in Roswell, New Mexico.

Roswell is well known as the site of an alleged 1947 unidentified flying object crash and now draws thousands of visitors to its annual UFO Encounter Festival, held in July.

“There was a brief conversation about his out-of-space, correction, out-of-state registration, but he assured us that he would take care of that issue,” said the sheriff office.

“He was also warned about our strict enforcement of warp speed on the interstate and to keep his phasers on stun only while travelling,” the post added, using references to popular science fiction TV series Star Trek.

In an e-mail to Fox Digital News, the sheriff office said the driver received a written warning from the officers.

With the “wind/traffic of the interstate plus the size and aerodynamics of his vehicle, he understood that the potential for lane violations existed”, said public information officer and undersheriff Adam Carnal.

The reaction on social media was similarly tongue in cheek, with one netizen, Ms Rebecca Deien, saying the car looked like something from famous 1980s movie Back to the Future.

Some people also posted pictures of the vehicle they said they had seen in several cities and roads.

One of them, Ms Cyndy Kjeldergaard, posted a GIF of a flying space saucer, and wrote: “The aliens have landed.” Another, Mr Steve Whitaker, said: “Do not mess with the aliens; they might have death-ray weapons.”

Another person, Mr Tony Bryant, joked: “They came from my place. I recharged his Dilythiam Crystals so he could continue.”

Many commentators also referenced the vehicle to American animated sitcom The Jetsons, about a family living in a utopian future.

“Great design of the Jetsons car but this one doesn’t fly in mid-air?” asked Mr Gary Peterson.

There were also praises for the sheriff office for being a “good sport”.

“This is great! Love the sense of humour from your department,” wrote Mr Scott Crawford.