Greece, NY (Patrice Walsh 13 WHAM) - Mike McCormick said he thought he was seeing things when he saw the electronic traffic sign on the side of West Ridge Road.
He thought it read: "Zombies ahead." He is an EMT for Monroe Ambulance. His co-worker didn't believe him when he told him about the sign, so they turned around and looked again.
There it was: the zombie message on one side, and something about the undead in another language on the other side.
McCormick said he and his co-worker had a good laugh and then snapped pictures and sent them to 13WHAM. Other viewers saw the sign and did the same.
At first, we thought it was some kind of internet hoax. But workers at the construction site near the newly-opened 390 ramp on West Ridge Road confirmed that the electronic sign had been hacked.
The State Department of Transportation learned about the incident early Monday morning after someone called Greece Police.
The sign was eventually turned off. McCormick says he didn't find the sign dangerous or distracting. He took it as a Halloween prank.
But whoever did this, knew what they were doing. The NYSDOT said these signs have passcodes and are padlocked. They aren't easy to hack.
This one had been used while the ramp to 390 was closed. When it re-opened a week ago, the sign was turned off and turned away from West Ridge Road.
It was moved, hacked and re-programmed early Monday morning.
Lori Maher, a spokesperson for the NYSDOT said: "It might've been funny to whoever did this, but someone could have been distracted...this could have caused an accident."
McCormick said it gave he and his co-worker a good laugh. He believes it was done in fun as a Halloween prank and doesn't think it hurt anyone.
But the NYSDOT says these signs serve a serious purpose and whoever did this, could be charged with vandalism.
If you have any information about the incident, please call Greece Police.
