On November 2, 1967, a remarkable encounter occurred on Highway 26 near Riri, Idaho. Two Navajo men, Will Begay and Guy Tossy, were driving when a bright flash of light suddenly appeared, causing their car to slow and stop. They observed an object hovering five feet above the ground, with flashing green and orange lights and a transparent dome containing two humanoid figures.

The encounter took an extraordinary turn when one of the small beings, approximately three feet tall with deeply scarred skin, floated down from the craft and entered their vehicle. The creature attempted to communicate with the terrified men before returning to its craft. The incident was investigated by local police and the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, who discovered that other witnesses in the area had reported similar experiences that same evening, including unusual animal behavior and another motorist who claimed a small being attempted to enter his truck.

Key Takeaways

Two Navajo men experienced a close encounter with a UFO and its occupants on an Idaho highway in 1967, including one entity who entered and apparently operated their vehicle.
Multiple witnesses and secondary incidents were reported in the same area that evening, suggesting a broader phenomenon than a single isolated event.
The case received attention from both UFO investigators and mainstream media, though some details remain inconsistent across different accounts of the incident.

The Night Otherworldly Visitors Commandeered a Vehicle

Strange Encounter on the Idaho Highway

On November 2, 1967, around 9:30 PM, Will Begay and Guy Tossy were driving along Highway 26 outside Ririe, Idaho. The two Navajo men, employed at a local potato farm, suddenly experienced a blinding flash of light. Their car began to slow down and eventually stopped completely, though Will hadn't applied the brakes.

Directly in front of them hovered an unusual object, suspended about five feet above the ground. The object measured approximately six to eight feet in diameter and three feet thick, resembling two saucers joined together with green and orange lights flashing around its rim.

Physical Appearance of the Unknown Entities

The witnesses observed two small humanoid figures inside a transparent bubble dome atop the craft. When one emerged, the men could see it stood approximately three feet tall with a bald head and ears positioned unusually high. Its facial features were distinctive, with deeply scarred and wrinkled skin that the witnesses compared to a cantaloupe.

The entity had round eyes without pupils and extremely thin lips. No nose was visible, though this might have been due to the extensive facial scarring. It wore tight-fitting coveralls and carried some type of pack on its back.

Vehicle's Unexpected Movement into a Field

In a terrifying turn of events, the small entity approached the car, opened the driver's door without any apparent difficulty, and positioned itself behind the steering wheel. The frightened witnesses huddled together on the passenger side as the car began moving forward, off the road and into a field of stubble wheat.

Whether the entity actually operated the vehicle manually or the craft somehow pulled the car remains unclear. Throughout this movement, the strange craft maneuvered in front of the car until both eventually came to a stop in the field.

Communication Attempts and Witness Reactions

While one witness, Guy, escaped and ran toward a distant farmhouse, Will remained in the vehicle. The entity attempted to communicate with Will twice, producing what was described as high-pitched, rapid chirping sounds reminiscent of a bird. Will, paralyzed with fear, provided no response.

After these unsuccessful communication attempts, the entity exited the vehicle. Meanwhile, Guy reached a farmhouse owned by William Hammond, though he was so terrified he could barely explain the situation coherently. When Hammond and his son accompanied Guy back to the car, they found Will still seated inside, eyes closed and frozen with fear.

The Craft's Departure and Corroborating Incidents

Following the encounter, the small entities reunited and floated back into their craft. Witnesses observed a flame-like light glowing from the bottom of the object as it departed with a distinctive zigzag motion.

Local police investigated and confirmed the witnesses appeared sober. They noted damage to the vehicle, likely from when it moved off-road. Neighboring farmers reported that their animals became extremely agitated during the timeframe of the incident.

Investigators from the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) gave the case significant attention. Their work uncovered additional incidents in the same area that night, including another driver's encounter with a similar craft and entity just two hours later, and a woman's sighting of a low-flying, rotating orange light.

Aftermath and Witnesses' Reactions

Flight and Pursuit Sequence

After the bizarre encounter on Highway 26, Guy Tossy immediately exited the vehicle when it stopped in the wheat field. He fled across the stubble toward a distant farmhouse, desperately seeking help. As he ran, Tossy noticed his shadow cast before him, suggesting a bright light source following behind. This indicated that one of the entities likely pursued him with some form of illumination device, though Willie Begay, still in the car, could not confirm this detail as he was focused on his own frightening situation. The pursuit did not last long, as the second entity apparently abandoned the chase to rejoin its companion.

Hammond Family Response

Upon reaching the nearby farmhouse, Guy Tossy frantically knocked on the door, desperately calling for assistance. William Hammond and his son Bob responded to the commotion. They observed that Tossy was in a state of extreme panic, making his explanation nearly incomprehensible. Despite his incoherent state, the Hammonds recognized the genuine terror in Tossy's demeanor and agreed to accompany him back to the vehicle. They drove to the location where the car had been left in the field. By this point, the strange craft had departed. The darkness at the scene added to the eerie atmosphere as they approached the vehicle.

Willie Begay's Traumatic State

When the Hammonds and Tossy reached the car, they found Willie Begay still inside, sitting with his eyes closed. He appeared to be in a state of paralytic fear following his close encounter with the entity. The psychological impact was immediately apparent, as Begay was so terrified that he required assistance from Hammond and his son to leave the scene. The two witnesses were escorted back to the Hammond residence where they could recover from their ordeal and report the incident to authorities. The extreme nature of Begay's reaction provided compelling evidence of a genuinely traumatic experience, regardless of its actual cause.

Investigation and Official Response

Police Involvement and Preliminary Findings

Local and state authorities from Bonneville County responded promptly to the incident report filed by Will Begay and Guy Tossy on November 2, 1967. Officers interviewed both witnesses and conducted a thorough examination of the area where the encounter allegedly occurred. Their investigation revealed damage to the vehicle, which investigators initially attributed to the car's movement into a ditch before entering the wheat field. Notably, the attending officers documented that neither witness appeared intoxicated during questioning, lending some credibility to their testimony. Law enforcement also interviewed neighboring farmers, who confirmed unusual animal behavior around the time of the incident, with several reporting that their cattle exhibited signs of panic and extreme nervousness for no apparent reason.

Media Response and Public Interest

The incident quickly gained traction in local newspapers, with initial reports appearing the day after the event. Coverage varied significantly, with some publications embellishing details beyond the witnesses' original statements. Notable discrepancies emerged in media accounts regarding whether the object landed directly on the car's roof or merely appeared in front of the vehicle. Some publications even claimed the object "fastened itself" to the roof and subsequently towed the car into the field—details that weren't consistent across all reports. Despite these inconsistencies, the case captured public imagination and generated significant interest both locally and eventually nationally.

NICAP's Investigation and Additional Findings

The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) recognized the significance of the Riri incident and launched a comprehensive inquiry. Investigator C. Reed Ricks and Corporal Thomas Harper conducted extensive interviews with witnesses and local residents. Their year-long investigation uncovered a previously unreported incident that occurred just two hours after the Begay-Tossy encounter, involving an anonymous truck driver traveling near Rigby.

This second witness described a similar encounter with a small aerial object and humanoid being that attempted to enter his vehicle by tapping on windows and scratching the windshield. The witness initially shared his experience only with a coworker, who later contacted NICAP after learning about their investigation. When Ricks attempted direct communication with this witness, he found the man reluctant to discuss the incident, possibly fearing ridicule. Follow-up inquiries a year later revealed the witness had moved away from the area.

Additionally, NICAP documented a third incident from the same timeframe when a woman identified as Mrs. Quinn reported observing a low-flying, rotating orange light in the general vicinity. These multiple reports from different witnesses strengthened NICAP's interest in the case as potentially significant evidence of unusual aerial phenomena in the region.

Additional Unusual Events and Other Eyewitnesses

The Later Ririe Highway Encounter

Just two hours after the primary incident with Begay and Tossy, another remarkable event occurred a few miles northwest of Ririe. An anonymous truck driver traveling to Rigby experienced a similar confrontation. His vehicle was unexpectedly stopped when a small aerial craft descended directly in front of his truck.

The driver watched in astonishment as a small humanoid entity emerged from the craft and approached his vehicle. The being attempted to gain entry by tapping on the side window and scratching at the windshield. Unable to get inside, the creature eventually returned to its craft and departed.

The witness, who had consumed alcohol earlier that evening, initially believed he might be hallucinating. He only shared his experience with a coworker the following day. After news of the Begay-Tossy incident spread, this coworker contacted NICAP investigator C. Reed Ricks, who had been gathering information in the area.

Despite Ricks' enthusiasm about this corroborating account, the witness proved reluctant to discuss his experience further, possibly fearing ridicule. Follow-up inquiries a year later revealed the man had relocated from the area, preventing any additional investigation.

Mrs. Quinn's Observation

During the same timeframe and in the general vicinity, another witness came forward with a relevant sighting. A local resident identified as Mrs. Quinn reported observing an unusual aerial phenomenon in the night sky.

She described seeing a low-flying orange light that appeared to be rotating. This brief but notable observation adds another layer to the events of that evening.

Mrs. Quinn's sighting, while less dramatic than the close encounters reported by the other witnesses, provides additional confirmation that something unusual was occurring in the Ririe area that night.

The consistency between these independent reports from different locations around Ririe suggests the presence of at least one unusual craft moving through the region during those evening hours of November 2, 1967.

Discrepancies and Significant Details

Vehicle Control Disagreement

The 1967 Riri, Idaho encounter presents conflicting accounts regarding how the vehicle stopped. Initial reports indicate Willie Begay and Guy Tossy's car slowed and halted after a bright flash of light, without Begay applying the brakes. However, alternative versions published in newspapers suggest the UFO physically attached to the car's roof, forcing it to stop. The UFO Research Newsletter (1972) specifically claimed the object "fastened itself to the roof" before towing the vehicle into a wheat field. Despite examining nearly 20 different sources and consulting with researcher Albert Rosales, the exact mechanism remains unclear. Rosales suggested newspapers may have embellished the roof landing detail to make the story more sensational.

Aerial Object Positioning Inconsistencies

Different accounts provide contradictory information about the UFO's position during the encounter. The primary investigation report states the object hovered five feet above the ground, approximately six to eight feet in diameter, with green and orange flashing lights around its rim. This version describes the object maneuvering in front of the car while it moved into the field. However, other publications insist the craft landed directly on the vehicle's roof. This significant detail varies across sources, creating uncertainty about the spatial relationship between the car and the object during the event.

Conflicting Humanoid Interaction Reports

The behavior and interaction of the entities involved contains several inconsistent elements across reports. The main account describes a three-foot tall humanoid with deeply scarred skin entering the vehicle and attempting communication with chirping sounds before departing. Jim Lynch's 1995 article in the Spokesman Review uniquely mentions the beings "appeared to be feuding or arguing with each other," a detail absent from all other accounts. Additionally, the second humanoid's actions remain partially unconfirmed - while Guy Tossy reported being pursued as he fled (evidenced by his shadow cast before him), Willie Begay couldn't verify this from his position in the car. The contradictory details about the entities' behavior and intentions remain one of the most puzzling aspects of this case.

Analysis and Speculation

Idaho's 1967 encounter involving Will Begay and Guy Tossy represents one of the most intriguing UFO incidents on record. The detailed witness accounts, multiple corroborating statements, and physical evidence merit careful consideration beyond mere acceptance or dismissal.

Manual Vehicle Control

The entity's decision to physically operate the vehicle raises fascinating questions about alien technology. Despite apparently possessing advanced capabilities—including the power to stop cars and potentially levitate objects—the being still needed to manually operate the steering wheel. This suggests potential limitations in their technological control systems.

The being's approach to the vehicle showed purposeful intent. It opened the door "without apparent difficulty," indicating either familiarity with Earth vehicles or rapid adaptive intelligence. The entity positioned itself behind the wheel in a deliberate manner, suggesting an understanding of human transportation mechanics.

When communication attempts failed, the being tried speaking to Begay twice in what was described as a "high rapid chirping voice" reminiscent of bird sounds. This detail points to biological or technological differences in vocal communication systems between the entities and humans.

Motivations for Vehicle Relocation

The decision to move the car off the highway into a wheat field deserves scrutiny. Several possible explanations exist:

Privacy concerns - Moving to a less visible location would reduce potential witnesses
Extended interaction time - A secluded area might allow for longer contact
Safety considerations - Removing the vehicle from traffic prevented accidents

The pursuit of Tossy by the second entity (evidenced by the shadow cast ahead of him as he ran) indicates these beings wanted continued interaction with both witnesses. This directly contradicts the notion they merely wanted to move the vehicle for safety reasons.

Reports from neighboring farms about distressed animals during this timeframe provide additional environmental context. Cattle and other livestock exhibited unusual panic behaviors, suggesting the entities or their craft emitted signals or energy that affected animal sensory systems.

The second reported encounter that same evening—involving an anonymous truck driver experiencing a similar approach by a small entity—strengthens the case for deliberate engagement attempts rather than random encounters.

Both incidents featured:

Vehicle stoppage
Small humanoid approaches
Attempt to enter vehicle
Multiple witnesses

This pattern suggests systematic behavior rather than coincidental activity.

UFO Encounter on Highway 26: The 1967 Ririe Idaho Alien Incident