ROSWELL, N.M. — Indiana's own UFO car has been running into legal troubles on a road trip to the heart of UFO excitement. Steve Anderson drives the custom-built UFO on wheels. But even extraterrestrial rides need to have their registration.
On June 28, Anderson was pulled over on Interstate 44 in Crawford County, Missouri. The deputy wanted to check out the ride - and Anderson's allegedly expired registration.
"He was also warned about our strict enforcement of warp speed on the interstate and to keep his phasers on stun only while traveling," a Facebook post from the sheriff's department read.
Anderson said he was heading west to the 2024 UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico, which starts July 5.
But the trip hasn't gotten much smoother since Missouri.
It happened again in Oklahoma, where officials once again let Anderson off with a laugh and a warning.
But even after arriving in New Mexico, Anderson again had a close encounter with police.
Now-retired 13News reporter Kevin Rader visited Anderson for a feature in his "Only In Indiana" series in 2014.
Wait, there's a UFO Festival?
Since 1996, UFO enthusiasts have been gathering in Roswell, New Mexico to celebrate the 1947 Roswell Incident.
That was when an Army Air Force balloon crashed outside the city. The balloon was part of a secret project to monitor Soviet nuclear tests. The military declassified the documents in 1994. But it looked strange and led to speculation it was an alien spaceship.
The U.S. government has been sharing more about UFOs recently, but the military maintains that while they are "unidentified" that doesn't make them alien. Indiana congressman Andre Carson is encouraging anyone who sees UFOs to report them.
The Festival is decidedly less serious than those reports. It includes an alien chase, pet costume contest, the AlienFest Light Parade. You can even hear from UFOlogists who specialize in studying the unexplained phenomena.
