Weird Sighting of a “Ghost Car” in Northern California

I had a strange experience driving at night. I wanted to share to see if anyone had an explanation or anything similar happen.

On Thursday, I left work early from here in Portland to drive down to a friend’s house in Yuba City, California. It’s about an 8 hour drive, so it was pretty dark by the time I reached California.

Once I reached the Mt. Shasta area, it was about 8:00-8:30pm. I was driving the curvy I5 through the mountains, concentrating on the road ahead and the numerous 18 wheelers slowing in the right lane. The speed limit through that area is 65mph and I was driving on cruise at 70mph.


Mt. Shasta is in the top of the map. My experience occurred on a stretch of I5 between Dunsmuir and Castella.


Though it was dark, the moonlight lit up the area fairly well. As I glanced up at my rearview mirror, I noticed a silhouette of something behind me in the road. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me and I glanced up again. It looked like a car following maybe 10-15ft behind me. Once I realized what it was, I freaked out and tapped my brakes a bit.

Just then, I was driving through a section of the highway that had a few street lamps. Sure enough, I could make out some sort of car following close. It was all black. No lights inside or out.

I slowed down to about 60mph and it swerved and accelerated around me. As it went past, I couldn’t make out anything. I had already past the street lamps at this point and there where no other cars on the road besides a few 18 wheelers that were quite a distance ahead. It was painted what looked like a flat black. Again, no lights. Not even light from the interior dash or anything. The windows appeared to be heavily tinted. For this reason, I had a hard time figuring out the make and model. It looked similar to the early 2000’s Chevy Lumina or Monte Carlo.


2000 Chevy Lumina. Similar shape of car except flat black paint, black wheels and no identifying marks.

As it accelerated, I did as well. I wanted to get behind it to see what was going on. However, once I got up to about 80mph, I eased off. The black car kept accelerating away from me. After a minute or two, I could no longer see it up ahead of me. I never saw it again.

What was it? I’ve heard stories of drug runners driving at high speeds with the lights off, using night vision goggles to see the road. Could this be it? If so, why would it be following me so close until I slowed down? Once I started slowing down it was as if the driver got spooked and took off at a rate of speed much to high to sustain through the mountain curves ahead.

Very, very strange experience. Anyone have any thoughts?

I have had a similar experience only the car I saw was a mid to late 50's Buick. Have seen ghost trains before too, on tracks I know had been shut down for more that 30 years.

S&F

There are many stories about guys with night vision.

That's a huge weed transportation corridor.

Maybe somebody running blacked out.

originally posted by: whyamIhere
There are many stories about guys with night vision.

That's a huge weed transportation corridor.

Maybe somebody running blacked out.

That was my first thought as well, being the "Emerald Triangle" and all. I'm just not sure why they were tailing me so closely.

a reply to: jtrenthacker

I have a theory that may have been a member of a car enthusiasts group I belong too dedicated to the GM W-body platform. Ive long suspected of him operating from a top secret facility out that ways somewhere.

originally posted by: StratosFear
a reply to: jtrenthacker

I have a theory that may have been a member of a car enthusiasts group I belong too dedicated to the GM W-body platform. Ive long suspected of him operating from a top secret facility out that ways somewhere.

Can't tell if serious. Care to expand on that theory?

a reply to: jtrenthacker

Half serious, he is a very knowledgeable member of our little group. They can expand on that if they wish, they have been linked in.

originally posted by: jtrenthacker

originally posted by: whyamIhere
There are many stories about guys with night vision.

That's a huge weed transportation corridor.

Maybe somebody running blacked out.

That was my first thought as well, being the "Emerald Triangle" and all. I'm just not sure why they were tailing me so closely.

That is a freaky area to drive in the daytime, much less by yourself at night...glad you are okay.

Probably "pharmacutical" sales people dipping into their own products, if you get my drift.

Mount Shasta area is beautiful, but take a friend with you next time.

Peace.

a reply to: jtrenthacker

Absolutely not the first "ghost car" story I have read, nor the first report of high strangeness in the area surrounding Mt. Shasta.

a reply to: jtrenthacker

I am not stateside but have heard of ghost car's, they tend to disappear so this sound's more like your suspicion of a potential crimian behaviour, I do not approve of gun's but would knowing what little I do of the state's recommend if you have a firearms licence valid in both state's to keep one on your person or in your glove box as the fact he was driving so close is worrying, still he may have been using you to plow the road ahead for him and taking it easy.

Is'nt Shasta linked to some paranormal and ufo activity though, I doubt this is related as like I say it does sound like a real car behaving very suspiciously, mat paint and blacked out window's sound's like someone wanting to stay invisible and probably only driving at night, drug runners probably yes or perhaps something else, is your car a good car and could they have been looking to possible hijack you.

There is one other alternative, could this have been undercover law enforcement in an unmarked blacked out car shadowing you as an out of state vehicle.

originally posted by: LABTECH767
a reply to: jtrenthacker

I am not stateside but have heard of ghost car's, they tend to disappear so this sound's more like your suspicion of a potential crimian behaviour, I do not approve of gun's but would knowing what little I do of the state's recommend if you have a firearms licence valid in both state's to keep one on your person or in your glove box as the fact he was driving so close is worrying, still he may have been using you to plow the road ahead for him and taking it easy.

Is'nt Shasta linked to some paranormal and ufo activity though, I doubt this is related as like I say it does sound like a real car behaving very suspiciously, mat paint and blacked out window's sound's like someone wanting to stay invisible and probably only driving at night, drug runners probably yes or perhaps something else, is your car a good car and could they have been looking to possible hijack you.

There is one other alternative, could this have been undercover law enforcement in an unmarked blacked out car shadowing you as an out of state vehicle.

All good points. I drive a 2007 Mazda 3, so I doubt anyone is looking to jack me for my car. What's really strange is there were no identifying markings that I could see. No plates, no automaker's emblems, even the taillights appeared to be painted black.

Interesting, OP.
I have a ghost car myself.



well, sorta... lol

Guten Tag- You are not alone. That area is crawling with stuff that could be described as 'odd'.. I met 2 large beings up there that were at least 7'6" tall and had shimmering hair and were very 'kind' in their ways and demeanor, probably would be the 'good' compared to the 'evil'.. My whole Life changed not very long after meeting them and I also KNEW things that I never studied or even thought about..

Anyways these stories go back to the late 1800s and there is more info out there..

______beforeitsnews/paranormal/2014/02/mount-shasta-mysteries-2464666.html

www.historiesmysteriesandstrangeness.com...

weekinweird.com...

When I was out in Ca. the last time visiting I even went up to Shasta to see if I could run into them again, but I'm pretty sure I'll see them when I leave HERE...

namaste

Very spooky lol. Caught my eye because I am from Red Bluff

My guess... Some hoonigans decided to mess with people and turn out their lights. You couldn't catch up because it was probably modified. Blacked out windows and blacked out lights are common and you can barely see the brake lights. Heck even my mustangr has smoked head and tail lights.

When I was younger we would mess with people by turning off the headlights and then cruise right up on somebody and turn them on to have some fun. Dangerous but amusing.

Also.. Californian cops have a habit of turning off their lights to sneak up on you and they have a small light on the front of their car so they can read your license plate. One did it to me once and pulled me over, I seen him coming so it was no surprise. The irony was after he did that he gave me a warning for having my license plate light out.

Hypocrite lol...

Whoa that is creepy.. I've always wanted to visit that region due to all the unusual stories from there.
I had no idea about the drug runners using cars like that either, makes sense though. Stay safe out there!

originally posted by: JimNasium
Guten Tag- You are not alone. That area is crawling with stuff that could be described as 'odd'.. I met 2 large beings up there that were at least 7'6" tall and had shimmering hair and were very 'kind' in their ways and demeanor, probably would be the 'good' compared to the 'evil'.. My whole Life changed not very long after meeting them and I also KNEW things that I never studied or even thought about..

ok Jim.. you GOTTA tell us more about that encounter! Start a thread maybe?

Strange. Where were all the unusual stories when I lived in that area? I have driven that spot thousands of times.

a reply to: Starcrossd


Greetings- I would have to wait until August 2016 to divulge any info. When this incident occurred I was with 2 other Ca. cops. There was he Sgt. another Detective and MySelf. If it was just the Sgt. and I that saw it, then I'd just let it rip but the other Det. is still working and set to retire in Feb. This will let any cases go through the system.

The Sgt. wasn't able to see the Beings, He thought M. and I were talking to each other. M. and I were at the front of the veh. and the Sgt. was in the surveillance van picking up the conversation over the wire, He said He could clearly hear M. and I but He would hear a whistling, thumping and knocking which would sometimes happen when the wire would rub against clothing or if the wearer would over modulate. When We got back into the veh. M. and I "tried" to explain what happened and the Sgt. being a "real tool" thought We were trying to get one over on Him.

• It should be noted that We were in the area making an undercover buy of methamphetamine while working "Dope" so any story dealing with the 'Un-Explainable' would've gone over like a fart in Church™.

After all of M's cases go through the system I'll certainly author a thread but not until He gets done w/His work.

I hope You understand?

namaste

Very interesting! I wonder, though, if the blacked out car had anything to do with the community college shooting that happened just across the state line in Oregon? High strangeness in the area...