Kingman-Arizona
A woman experienced a phantom passenger in her car while driving alone on old "Route 66".
Many years ago, "Route 66" was one of the main roads used in Arizona by travelers who were just passing through on a long extended journey.
Back in the 60's, a woman named Dennie M., had left her home in the state of California, to visit family in her home state of Illinois. Her husband at the time was stationed in San Diego at the naval base. He was sent out to sea and she found her self quite alone and missing her family.
She planned her trip carefully and informed her family of her impending arrival date in Illinois. Her departure time from California was unfortunately much later than expected. By the time she almost reached Kingman, Arizona, night had already fallen. In order not to get behind her schedule to be in Illinois by a certain date..she decided to drive through as much of the night as she could. All would have went well, but she found herself getting tired and very fearful of driving alone in that particular condition through Arizona. The road had become long and deserted and somewhat eerie.
She stopped at a little store along the way to freshen up, get a drink and purchase some pills if possible, that would help keep her awake and alert. After finding what she needed, she took several of the pills to help keep herself awake. Soon she felt awake and alert, so she continued on her way.
Route 66, once again appeared desolate and dark, even with the few roadside lights along the way. Traffic had almost disappeared and she seems to be the only driver on this stretch of lonely highway.
About an hour away from Kingman she glanced into her rear view mirror, looking for headlights. Staring right back at her in the back seat was a man whom looked to be a cowboy. He tipped his hat and said nothing more than "Mam". Her first thought was that someone had slipped into her car while she made the last stop at the store. Terror overwhelmed her and she slammed on the brakes and temporarily lost control of the vehicle. When she gained control she pulled off to the shoulder of the road. She jumped out expecting the phantom rider to come out also and attack her, but he never did. She looked in her window at the back seat and found it empty. He was nowhere to be found.
Feeling somewhat relieved but still a bit unnerved, she cautiously got back into her car. The sooner she could get to civilization and find a hotel, the better. Again on the road she noticed something peculiar. This time it wasn't in her car but on the road in front of her. She stopped the car once again. Thousands of tarantulas where crossing the road in front of her vehicle. Finding this too much to endure, she floored the gas pedal and sped off.
Another "30" minutes later she found a hotel and spent the night. The next day she called her parents in Illinois to come get her. She was too frightened to continue on the trip alone. They obliged and she stayed a few days at hotel until they had gotten there.
To this day she doesn't know what happened or why she saw the cowboy. Could it have been the pills she took to stay awake? A hallucination caused by them?
If you ever find yourself on a desolate, dark stretch of highway while driving through Arizona, try not to look in your back seat. Or maybe you should!
Was this encounter a hallucination brought on by the pills or did she really see those things?
We may never really know the truth.
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