Drivers on Interstate 4 near Plant City got an unexpected thrill on Sunday when a pickup truck hauling what looked like two missiles in its bed drew a swarm of troopers, firefighters, and bomb technicians, briefly backing up traffic as authorities scrambled to figure out whether the threat was real.
Troopers: props, not weapons
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver, identified as Michael Nipper, told troopers he had bought the missile-style objects as a kit online and used them at events, and that the pieces were plastic and contained no explosive material, according to WESH. The mock missiles were mounted on a metal rack in the truck bed, which was more than enough to alarm people sharing the road.
Out of caution, bomb technicians were called in and troopers set up a safety perimeter while they checked out the suspicious cargo. After an on-scene inspection, the bomb squad determined the objects were props, not weapons, and the driver was released. The Florida Highway Patrol said multiple agencies responded, including the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the Plant City Police Department, and the Plant City Fire Department.
How crews treat suspected devices
Law enforcement officers are trained to treat anything that even looks like a weapon or explosive as a potential public safety threat. That can mean shutting down lanes, rerouting drivers, and calling in specialized bomb units, even if the suspicious object turns out to be harmless.
In a December case in Haines City, a motorist who claimed to have a “dirty bomb” in his truck triggered a multijurisdictional response and ultimately criminal charges after authorities found the container held low-level radioactive material, ClickOrlando reported.
In the Plant City incident, officials said the bomb squad cleared the scene once they confirmed the items were not real, and the driver was allowed to continue on his way, WESH reports. While prop kits are legal in many situations, authorities caution that hauling anything that resembles a missile or bomb along a busy highway is a near-guaranteed way to end up surrounded by flashing lights and very nervous first responders.
