In the early 1970s, the vast, open highways of Wyoming became the setting for one of the most perplexing encounters ever documented among long-haul truckers. Terry L. Aloft, working for International Transport Inc. based in Rochester, Minnesota, experienced something that would challenge conventional explanation during a routine delivery run in January 1975. The winter journey across the desolate stretches of Highway 26, with snow falling steadily and the northern lights dancing across the sky, seemed picturesque until it took an unexpected turn.

What began as casual conversation over CB radios between three truckers traveling in convoy quickly evolved into something far more disturbing. The lead driver's increasingly panicked reports of mysterious lights, followed by a terrifying roadside incident, left one man severely burned and traumatized. His truck was found partially melted, tires smoldering, with evidence of intense heat damage that defied simple explanation. The driver's fragmented account of strange figures attempting to enter his vehicle while surrounded by hovering lights presents a chilling glimpse into an encounter that remains unexplained.

Key Takeaways

A routine trucking run through Wyoming in 1975 transformed into a terrifying encounter involving mysterious lights and unexplained phenomena.
One driver suffered severe burns and vehicle damage after reportedly being surrounded by strange lights and encountering unknown entities attempting to enter his truck.
The incident occurred during a period when unusual cattle deaths were being reported throughout the region, adding to the mystifying context of the event.

Terry L. Aloft's Early 1970s Journey

Working for International Transport Services

In the early 1970s, Terry L. Aloft worked as a truck driver for International Transport Inc., a company headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota. The company, which would later become part of Snider National, maintained a satellite terminal in Cisel, Montana, where lumber was regularly loaded for transport. In January 1975, Terry and two fellow drivers arrived at this terminal where they spent most of a day loading and securing lumber before departing in the evening.

Their destination was a small town near Indianapolis, requiring a long journey across multiple states. The group initially traveled together, stopping to rest just north of Yellowstone National Park. The following morning, after having coffee, they continued their journey through steady snowfall on remarkably empty roads.

The Frightening Encounter on Wyoming's Highway

The drivers chose a route through Idaho Falls and onto US Highway 26 in Wyoming, planning to reach Casper. Around 8:00 PM, they stopped in Shoshone for a meal, coffee, and to refuel their trucks. When they resumed their journey, Terry admired the beautiful night sky where the northern lights danced brilliantly above them.

All three drivers had CB radios and maintained communication while keeping about two miles apart from each other. Their conversation initially revolved around typical truckers' complaints about their company and deliveries. The spectacular meteor shower that appeared caught their attention, creating a breathtaking celestial display unobstructed by city lights.

At approximately 2:00 AM, their peaceful drive changed dramatically. The lead truck driver suddenly radioed back, angrily accusing someone of following too closely with high beams. This confused Terry, who was still two miles behind him. Minutes later, the lead driver began erratically discussing mysterious lights that appeared and disappeared.

As the lead driver grew increasingly agitated, Terry observed more meteors in the sky. Despite attempts to calm their colleague, he became more frightened and angry, eventually accelerating ahead. Concerned for their friend, Terry and the third driver increased their speed to maintain radio contact, which was deteriorating with static and breaks in transmission.

Racing along the dark road, they approached a series of hills. After cresting the third hill, Terry noticed a bright light that suddenly extinguished. Within moments, he found himself nearly colliding with the lead truck, which had stopped in the middle of the road without lights. Terry managed to brake in time and warned the driver behind him.

Upon approaching the stopped vehicle, Terry was shocked at the scene:

Every tire on one side was flat and smoldering
The windshield and driver's door glass had shattered
The truck's green and yellow paint had blistered to black on one side
The tarps had melted into the lumber, which was still burning

Inside the cab, they found the driver severely injured:

Left arm burned black
Face burned on the left side
Hair completely gone
Skin cracked and bleeding
Breathing labored

They spent an hour extracting him from the vehicle. During the two-hour drive to the hospital, the injured driver repeatedly asked about bright lights and claimed that "they" had tried to pull him from his truck. He described an encounter where mysterious figures attempted to force open his door while dozens of lights hovered around his vehicle.

The bizarre incident, occurring during a time when cattle mutilations were being reported across Wyoming, left Terry with one of his most disturbing professional memories.

The Journey Begins

Setting Out from Rochester

In January 1975, Terry L. Aloft was working as a driver for International Transport Inc., a trucking company based in Rochester, Minnesota. The company, which would later become part of Snider National, operated a satellite terminal in Cissel, Montana. Terry had arrived at this terminal with two colleagues, where they spent most of a day loading lumber and securing their cargo with tarps. After completing preparations, the three truckers departed in the evening, heading toward their destination near Indianapolis. Their route would take them through some of America's most scenic yet isolated landscapes during the winter season.

Night Rest Near Yellowstone

As darkness fell, the drivers decided to stop for the night at a location just north of Yellowstone National Park. The winter weather had brought steady snowfall, creating challenging driving conditions. After getting some rest, the men woke in the morning, had coffee, and continued their journey. They noticed the roads were unusually empty of civilian vehicles, likely due to the winter conditions. To save time and distance, they chose a route cutting eastward out of Idaho Falls.

Crossing from Idaho to Wyoming

The truckers merged onto US Highway 26 in Wyoming, planning to follow it to Casper. By around 8:00 PM, they reached Shoshone where they stopped for a meal, coffee, and to refuel their vehicles. After their break, they continued eastward. It was a remarkably clear night despite the season, with the northern lights creating a spectacular display across the sky. The drivers were aware of recent news reports about unusual cattle deaths in Wyoming, which became a topic of conversation during their journey.

The 300-mile stretch from Shoshone to Casper was, in Terry's opinion, one of the most beautiful yet desolate roads he had ever traveled. All three drivers had CB radios—relatively new technology in 1975—and decided to maintain a formation with approximately two miles between each truck. This arrangement allowed them to chat throughout the night, primarily complaining about their company and discussing their delivery assignments. As they drove, they witnessed what appeared to be a meteor shower, with countless lights streaking across the unobstructed night sky—a breathtaking natural phenomenon that would soon be overshadowed by far stranger events.

Strange Wyoming Encounters

Unusual Highway Phenomena and Atmospheric Displays

In January 1975, a group of three International Transport Inc. drivers experienced something extraordinary while traveling through Wyoming. After leaving Shoshone around 8:00 PM, they headed east on US Highway 26 toward Casper. The night was remarkable, with the northern lights dancing across the sky, creating a beautiful natural display. At the time, news reports of unusual cattle deaths throughout Wyoming had become a common topic of conversation among the drivers as they traveled through the state's desolate landscape.

The 300-mile stretch to Casper was known for its isolation and beauty. With their CB radios, the drivers maintained communication while traveling approximately two miles apart from each other.

Unexplained Aerial Phenomena and Distorted Communications

Around 2:00 AM, something unusual began to unfold. The lead truck driver suddenly demanded over the radio that whoever was behind him turn off their high beams. This confused the others since they were miles apart. Shortly after, the lead driver reported seeing lights appear and disappear.

The middle driver, Terry, noticed an increasing number of what appeared to be meteors in the sky as the lead driver became more agitated. Despite attempts to calm him, the lead driver grew increasingly panicked about bright lights in his mirror. He began speeding up to escape what he perceived as a threat.

Radio interference soon disrupted their communication, with the lead driver's voice breaking up into indecipherable fragments. Terry increased his speed to maintain contact, concerned something was seriously wrong.

Disturbing Roadside Discovery

After cresting a third hill at high speed, Terry nearly collided with the lead truck, which had stopped in the middle of the road with all lights off. Upon inspection, the two trailing drivers found a disturbing scene:

Truck Damage:

Every tire on one side was flat and still smoldering
Windshield burned black and shattered
Driver's door glass exploded
Paint blistered and peeling off the door and sleeper
Tarps melted to the wood underneath, which was still burning

The driver himself was in terrible condition with severe burns. His left arm was charred, face burned on one side, and all his hair gone. He was bleeding from cracked skin and struggling to breathe.

During the two-hour journey to the hospital, the injured driver repeatedly asked Terry if he had seen the bright lights. He described an encounter where intense lights forced him to stop, followed by figures attempting to pry open his door despite it being locked. According to his account, numerous small lights hovered around his truck, accompanied by several larger stationary lights and one overwhelmingly bright light.

The Unexpected Encounter

The First Truck's Distress Signal

In January 1975, three truck drivers for International Transport Inc. were traveling across Wyoming on US Highway 26 toward Casper. The night was spectacular, with the Northern Lights dancing across the sky and occasional meteor showers creating a breathtaking display. The drivers maintained communication via CB radio, keeping about two miles apart as they navigated the desolate road.

Around 2:00 AM, something unusual occurred. The lead driver suddenly came on the radio with a strange complaint, asking whoever was behind him to stop using high beams. This was confusing since the middle driver was miles behind and couldn't possibly be causing any glare.

Minutes later, the lead driver's communications became increasingly erratic. He mentioned seeing bright lights in his mirrors and became noticeably agitated. Despite attempts from his colleagues to calm him, suggesting his eyes were playing tricks, the driver grew more frightened and began speeding up to increase distance between them.

Discovering the Immobilized Vehicle

As the driver's radio signal weakened, his colleagues accelerated to maintain contact, concerned something was wrong. After cresting several hills, the middle driver spotted an intense light that suddenly vanished. Within moments, he found himself nearly colliding with the lead truck, which had stopped in the middle of the road with all lights off.

The middle driver managed to slam on his brakes, sliding past the stopped vehicle before coming to a halt. He quickly radioed the third driver to warn him, who successfully pulled onto the shoulder behind the stopped truck.

Upon approaching the vehicle, both drivers were met with a shocking sight:

Every tire on one side was flat and smoldering
The windshield was blackened and shattered
The driver's door glass had exploded
The truck's green and yellow paint was blistered and peeling
Tarps had melted to the wooden cargo, which was still burning

The Results of an Inexplicable Incident

The condition of the driver was even more alarming. He sat motionless, staring at the windshield. His left arm was severely burned—almost charcoal black—with his sleeve fused to his skin. The left side of his face was badly burned, his hair completely gone, and he was bleeding from cracks in his skin.

It took nearly an hour to extract him from the vehicle. During the two-hour journey to the hospital, the injured driver kept asking if they'd seen the bright lights and repeatedly mentioned "they" were trying to get him out of his truck.

When questioned about what happened, he shared a disturbing account:

The lights became so intense he had to stop
Mysterious figures appeared at his door trying to force it open
Dozens of small lights hovered around his truck
Four or five larger stationary lights were visible
One enormous, blinding light overshadowed everything

Despite his locked door and resistance, the driver claimed the door kept opening against his efforts to keep it shut. The entire incident left the vehicle damaged beyond normal explanation and the driver severely injured from what appeared to be extreme heat exposure.

The Medical Response After the Incident

Emergency Care and Initial Response

The two truck drivers reacted quickly when they discovered their colleague in distress. Upon opening the driver's door, they found him in a concerning state - unresponsive and staring blankly at the windshield. His left arm showed severe burns, appearing almost black, while the left side of his face was badly burned and completely hairless. His skin had cracked in several places and was bleeding, and he struggled to breathe normally.

It took approximately an hour for the drivers to carefully extract their injured colleague from the damaged vehicle and transfer him to Terry's truck. Meanwhile, the second driver managed to move the partially burned truck from the middle of the road to the shoulder, despite its significant damage.

The Injured Driver's Account

During the nearly two-hour journey to the hospital, the burned driver drifted in and out of lucidity. He repeatedly asked about bright lights and whether Terry had seen them too. Despite Terry's assurances that he had only observed meteors in the night sky, the injured man persisted with his questions.

At one point, he grabbed Terry's arm desperately and exclaimed that "they" were trying to remove him from his truck, but he had refused to be taken. When asked what he remembered about the incident, the driver shared a disturbing account of his experience.

According to his recollection, the lights became overwhelming as he drove, forcing him to stop the truck to avoid a potential accident. Within moments of stopping, he claimed figures appeared at his driver's side door and attempted to force it open. Despite his efforts to keep the door locked and shut, it continued to open against his resistance.

Theories About the Unusual Occurrence

The injured driver described seeing numerous small lights moving around his truck during the incident. He specifically mentioned:

Dozens of tiny lights hovering and maneuvering around his vehicle
Four or five larger stationary lights positioned nearby
One enormous, blinding light that dominated the scene

As the driver shared these details, Terry began to wonder if the lights being described might have been something significant. The incident occurred in Wyoming during January 1975, a time when reports of unusual cattle deaths were frequent in the region.

The circumstances were particularly strange: a truck with burns only on one side, melted tarps, exploded glass, flat and smoldering tires, and a driver with severe burns concentrated on the left side of his body. The air at the scene had been heavy with the smell of burning rubber and wood, with parts of the load still smoldering as if they had been used as a bonfire.

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