UFO Sighting - Levelland Texas

From TinWiki.org

On November 2, 1957, a small town in Texas recorded some of the best documented cases of UFO landings ever. A city of about 10,000 people, Levelland would spring to life around 11:00 PM, as calls began to come in about a strange object flying around and landing in the middle of roads. Patrolman A.J. Fowler, who was manning the police call line, received fifteen different calls from frightened citizens reporting UFOs that night.

1 Pedro's Truck
2 Object In The Road
3 Another Road Block
4 Freshman Initiation
5 Police Become Concerned
6 The Aftermath
7 Also On tinWiki
8 ATS Discussion Threads
9 External Links

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Pedro's Truck

Two immigrant farm workers, Pedro Saucedo and Joe Salaz, were driving in a pick-up truck four miles west of Levelland when they observed a brightly lit object heading in their direction. As the object approached their truck began to fail, the engine sputtered to a stop as all electrical systems went dead. Pedro and Joe estimated the object to be about 200 feet long, and described it as cigar or rocket shaped. As the UFO moved away their truck began to work again and they drove to a phone and called Fowler. Thinking it to be a prank or that the men were drunk the officer dismissed the call as nonsense.

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Object In The Road

Nearly an hour later Fowler would receive another unusual call. Near the small town of Whitharral, located four miles east of Levelland, a man by the name of Jim Wheeler reported an egg-shaped object sitting in the road. Similar to Pedro and Joe, Jim's car had stalled and he got out to observe the bright blue object blocking the road. Soon it lifted off the road and disappeared in the flash.

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Another Road Block

At midnight, Fowler receives the third call of the night from a Jose Alvarez. He describes traveling about 11 miles north of Levelland when he sees a strange object sitting on the road. His vehicle is disabled, leaving him to observe the object. Before long, the silent object departs and his vehicle begins to function again.

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Freshman Initiation

Ten minutes later, Texas Tech freshman Newell Wright was driving 10 miles east of Levelland when his engine failed. When he got out to check on the problem, he saw a "100-foot-long" egg-shaped object sitting in the road. Like the other reports, when the unknown object departed his engine started running again.

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Police Become Concerned

Officer Fowler receives yet another call. This time from a farmer named Frank Williams who claimed a bright pulsating egg-shaped object kept causing his car to die. At this point Fowler begins to worry and radios patrol cars to be on the lookout for this object. Patrolmen are already actively investigating after overhearing the radio traffic.

Fowler would receive a couple more calls, including another sighting of the 200 foot-long UFO by a frightened truck driver. At 1:30 AM police officers would join the growing list of witnesses during this strange event. Sheriff Cleam and Deputy McCullough reported a large glowing object which flew over the highway in front of them. They had never seen anything like it, claiming it lit up the ground like the sun.

Patrolmen Lee Hargrove and Floyd Gavin were following in their patrol car several miles behind. In his signed statement Hargrove claimed to have seen a strange-looking flash, which went from east to west and appeared close to the ground. Levelland Fire Marshal Ray Jones also experienced a sputtering engine (thought it did not fully die) and a bright flash of light.

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The Aftermath

The sightings drew National exposure and soon the military became involved. Captain Gregory, then head of Project Blue Book, was sure the case could be attributed to ball-lightning. Well known ufologist and astronomer J. Allen Hynek, along with several other prominent men of science disputed this conclusion. Hynek was told that Blue Book’s investigation consisted of one man who came one day and made two auto excursions, before telling the local Sheriff (Clem) he was finished. Hardly an investigation one would think. Furthermore, there were only light clouds and mist reported that night. No severe weather and no lightning. Hynek and other prominent researchers who did not agree with Gregory’s assessment but their opinions were omitted from Blue Book on this incident. The fact remains, that ball-lightning can not disable cars. Hynek would later regret not pushing the issue further in the moment. This case was a good one.

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