Cookie Monster is well-known for his ability to quickly put back desserts, but who knew he was also such a speed demon behind the wheel?
Police in Germany are attempting to follow the crumbs that will lead them to the blue monster after a person dressed up as the Sesame Street staple was spotted zooming along a highway.
Photos taken by a mobile roadside unit in Dortmund, western Germany, in late September captured a driver speeding 11 kilometres over the street’s 80 km/h limit.
The googly-eyed character, whose human identity is still unknown, was driving an Audi and police believe whoever was inside the costume was hoping to be deliberately caught on camera for the gag.
“Whoever put the (Cookie) Monster mask over their head and drove a car with it – we invite you to a personal conversation,” the Dortmund police shared in a translated post to Facebook, clearly trying to impart that the stunt was no laughing matter.
“Face-to-face, an unfiltered conversation about what it feels like to share a death message to a loved one. How it feels to provide first aid at the scene of an accident – in vain.”
Their post also highlighted the dangers of driving in such a costume: an obstructed field of vision, the chance of a crash or, worse, someone could have been hurt or killed.
“The fun of wearing a mask from The Muppet Show can quickly turn serious,” police spokesperson Peter Bandermann told The Daily Mail. (Cookie Monster is actually a character on Sesame Street.)
“It won’t help the relatives of a person who has been killed if the person who did it tearfully regrets their mask fun in court.”
Authorities said if they do track down the wannabe muppet, they’ll face a fine of 40 euros (C$60).
The car is reportedly registered to a 57-year-old man from Hagen, but it’s not clear if he was the person behind the wheel.