Geographical Index > United States > California > Imperial County > Report # 8345
(Class A)
Submitted by witness James on Tuesday, March 23, 2004.
Truck driver has a short but memorable encounter
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YEAR: 1999
SEASON: Winter MONTH: November DATE: Late November STATE: California COUNTY: Imperial County LOCATION DETAILS: It was about 25 or so miles north of the Glamis Dunes. I was heading south back home to Holtville. NEAREST TOWN: Holtville NEAREST ROAD: Highway 78 coming from blythe. OBSERVED: I was driving back from Blythe and it was about 10PM I slowed my semi down going through the mountains when I came to a pull out, and I got out to relieve myself. While I was standing on the passenger side of my truck, that’s when I heard a sound of rocks falling. When I looked up, I saw something that I can’t describe in words. It ran 20 yards in front of my truck heading east; I jumped back in my truck and drove off. I’ve never told anybody about this not even my wife, because I thought people would think I am crazy. I have never drove that highway again at night. What I saw was about 7 or 8 feet tall, it was grayish brown, and what scared me the most was the grunt it made when it crossed the highway. ALSO NOTICED: Just the grunt it made as it crossed to the other side of the highway. OTHER WITNESSES: Just me, I didn’t see any cars pass, but I can’t be sure. OTHER STORIES: I’ve heard hunters talk about having rocks thrown at them off the tops of the mountain at night while they're sitting at their campfires, and cries being heard at night. TIME AND CONDITIONS: 10 PM the sky was clear, and you could see the silhouettes of the mountains, which were very clear. ENVIRONMENT: Rocky Mountains on the north side of the highway, which was mainly desert. Also, there was vegetation about 20 miles north of where I had stopped on that highway, towards Blythe. .
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Richard Hucklebridge:
The witness called tonight the 28th of March 2004, and we went over his rendition of his 1999 sighting along Hwy.78 in Imperial county of California. The witness is a 31-year-old, semi truck driver, and he was returning home to Holtville when he pulled over to spend a few hours sleeping on a dirt pullout that truckers use along that lonely stretch of desert Hwy. The witness’s encounter included a visual of the creature, a very strong smell, and a loud grunt.
The first thing the witness noticed when he pulled off of the road was the strong dead decaying skunk smell, so, when he stopped the truck he turned off the engine, he left the head lights on just in case he might step on something as he stepped out of his truck to take care of business on the passenger side. As he was standing along side of the passenger side of the truck, he began hearing rocks falling like an animal was walking down a mountainside. At about this same time, the dead skunk smell, which was bad, got even worse, like a gagging type of a smell.
At that instant, he observed this longhaired, large framed creature walking in front of his truck, and through his headlights, and then across the road making a loud grunting noise. Now this last series of events put the witness into a very frightened mode, and he had a strong feeling that he had to get out of there NOW!
I needed to ask the witness a few specific questions about just what he saw that evening in late November 1999.
Describe the area in which the incident occurred: “It was a dirt pullout that truckers use for sleeping a few hours. The area is a total desert setting that is located on Hwy. 78 as it crossed the Chocolate Mountains, in Imperial county of California.”
Where about in Imperial county did this happen? “It is located about twenty or so miles north of Glamis, Ca., and about thirty miles south of Blythe, Ca. on highway 78.”
What was the distance you would estimate that you were from it? “About twenty to twenty-five feet away.”
What was your first reaction? “At first I was startled and caught off guard, and that turned into amazement, and then that quickly turned into that scared feeling.”
What was it doing? “It was walking away from me in front of my truck and across the road, like it was bow legged, and I could only see its left rear side in the head lights.”
Did it stand on two legs, and did it ever go down on all fours? “Only saw it use its two legs as it walked across the road, and it never went down on all fours.”
Was it covered with hair, and what color was it? “It was covered with hair on the half that I saw, and the color was a dark brown, but the back looked grayish. The upper hair looked to be longer and seemed to flow as it moved.”
What would you estimate its weight and height was? “I thought it might weigh about 650 lb., and its height was about 7 to 71/2 feet tall.”
Did you ever see any facial features, and could you describe them? “No to both, but I did notice that there wasn’t much of a neck and it seemed as if the head was mounted on its well muscled shoulders.”
Could you describe the arms? “They seemed long and very muscular and the fingers looked like they went below the knees.”
Could you tell if it was a male or a female? “No, but it looked like it could pick up a 1000 lb. pallet with no problem.”
About how long did you see it? “About 5 to 8 seconds.”
Did it ever make any noise? “Yes! It made a grunting sound as it crossed the road in front of my truck, like somebody clearing their throat, but much louder. This is when I sensed the fear, and I knew that I had to get out of here.”
Did it ever see you? “I don’t know. It had to know that I was there. I only saw one side of it as it crossed the road.”
Did you ever smell anything? “Yes! As I said, while in the truck it smelled like a dead decaying skunk. But, as the creature passed in front of the truck, that smell turned into a gagging smell that made me sick, and I felt that fear that I had to leave now. There was a slight breeze coming from the creature towards me.”
Have you ever discussed this sighting with anyone else or an agency? “No, I have never told anyone, not even my wife. I just didn’t want anybody to think that I was crazy.”
In summary: The witness was adamant and credible in his retelling of his sighting. I know we might find it difficult to think of this creature in a desert setting like this, but there is plenty of game, such as deer, snakes, rabbits, and other small creatures that live out there. Water and foliage are provided by the Colorado River, and there are several canals that traverse that area for the agricultural plantations that permeate Imperial County.
I believe the sound, smell, and the visual of this creature that occurred at about the same instant caused the witness's fear and made him feel he had to leave at immediately. The witness is half Native American, and he has heard stories from his elders about the hairy man of the desert who will get you if you are not good, but he never believed them. The witness’s people also say that if the hairy one touches you, then you are blessed. He now has a different outlook about the out of doors.
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