'Zombie Threat' Hacked Onto Digital Road Sign In Chesterfield

"Nazi Zombies! Run!!!" was programmed into a digital traffic sign at Clarkson and Kehrs Mill roads in Chesterfield over the past weekend.

Police said "Nazi Zombies! Run!!!" referred to video game Call of Duty 5, World at War that launched a "Nazi Zombies" game, and that went on to feature zombies of many nationalities.

The sign was changed from a construction message sometime between Friday, June 15, 5pm and Saturday, June 16, 7:15am, police said.

A at that location and  to all but residential traffic there. 

There are no suspects in the case and police are calling it vandalism. The padlock was broken off, to get into the control panel and re-program the message. Typically, a sign computer is password protected.

It was not immediately clear if this control panel was password protected. If it needed a password, then a savvy hacker would likely be linked to the vandalism.

The sign, which belongs to the highway department, was repaired and the message changed to indicate construction warning, not a zombie threat.

Games that included "Nazi Zombies" were some of the bestsellers, beginning in 2008, according to Wikipedia. 

Nearby resident Rich Wieder said he saw the sign with his family, was confused momentarily, until his 15-year-old son told them about the zombie video game.

"My wife and daughter both ran up to Kehrs Mill Road to take pictures. We got a good laugh out of it," he said.

Of course, none endorse the vandalism.