Trucker Ghost Stories

Better late than never ~ huge thanks to Dusckslayer for spreading the word! Trucker Ghost Stories will be published by Tor Books. They wanted more stories, so now my book will be out in late 2011 or early-mid 2012.

Still have one month left before I turn in my final manuscript. I'd love to get a few more stories from drivers on the TruckersReport forum.

Annie

 

Anybody ever hear anything about the ghost of the WV turnpike? When I was a kid I remember my mom, dad and grandparents talking about it.
This was back in the 60's & 70's. What I remember, the turnpike was god awful back then. 2 lanes with short passing lanes and LOTS of fatal wrecks. The "ghost" would be hitch hiking, be picked up, after a bit the "ghost" would just vanish (causing of course a wreck). This supposedly happened more between Beckley & Charleston.

 

I have two stories, I will tell them,and you can decide if they are interesting.One was before I went to trucking school and one is after I was on the road for the first year.

Death of My Father.
In the Autumn of 1996,My father passed away.He had been caught cheating on my Mother a few times,the first one had got Him kicked out of the house,and the second really wasn't a surprise to us at all.
He had left to visit a friend on the other side of town,when upon entering His friends threshhold,keeled over and died of a massive heart attack.
needless to say I was called by the police and asked to come back to my Mothers house and I did.I made all the necessary calls to family,and by the end of the evening, the house was full of family.I was running low on cigarettes, and knowing my Mother was with family, went to the local gas station to get a few more packs.
As I pulled into the gas station, I had the feeling that my Dads soul just wasn't where it should be.(dont ask me why, I just felt that way) As I exited my car, a bum approached me and asked If he could wash my windshield for a little change.I pulled out a $5 dollar bill and instead asked Him if he would pray for my Father whom had just passed away.I gave Him the money and He went to praying loudly I might add, that it kind of embarassed me.I looked upon His face,and I felt a great relief, that all was as it should be.I looked into his eyes and they were a color so peircing blue,they could stop you in your tracks.UI thanked him and asked Him His name.he answered I'm Irish.still dumbfounded I bought my cigarettes and went back home.
Months passed and everytime a passed or went into that gas station I looked for Him. A few years later I found him, and asked If he remembered me,and If His name was Irish.he said he didn't remember me, but yes His name was Irish.The thing that sent chills down my spine is His eyes were almost blackish brown,not the blue I saw so clearly that mournful evening.

Donner Pass.
I had been driving for almost a year as a commercial driver.being from california, I hadn't had much experience in snow and ice, but 6 months earlier i was teaming witha classmate I went to truckdriving school with and He had Jackknifed us in a blizzard 3 miles outside of Oakley,Kansas.So needless to say, I learned how to respect the winter conditions real fast. I was getting pretty good at driving the I 80 in all types of weather.Well it was close to Christmas, and My Mother had finally accepted My fathers passing, to the point that She could smile again.I was doing short hops from Chicago to California, and was totally exhausted, trying to make it home for Christmas.I pulled into the Alamo truck stop, and stopped for a break.It was Dec. 23rd. I was contemplating getting a little sleep,before going over the pass, but I knew that if I did, I might not wake up for a while.I figured I would let fate dictate my next move, as a storm was approaching the summit. I stepped out of the truck to use the rest room and was walking behind a few other drivers. I was about 10feet behind them when one of the drivers turned around and told me" if your trying to get Home, you better go over the pass right now!"I looked at Him because I didn't know Him or had ever talked to Him.Then I saw those same blue eyes I had seen the night My Father passed away.I didn't hesitate, I turned around, jumped in my truck and headed up Donnor pass.As I went up the Mountain, I truned the squelch on my CB all the way up,as to hear any new road conditions etc. I reached the second rest area(as your heading west) and stoppedto use the restroom there.As I left that rest area, I heard on the CB That they had shut the pass down behind me,and the snow was falling pretty good.had I not heeded that drivers words, I would have been stuck there during Christmas as it stayed closed for a day and a half.I made it back to Los angeles,after dropping my load in Frisco, and my Mother had a smile for the first time on Christmas since my Father had passed away a Christmas before.

To this day, if I see eyes like that, I listen to the words being spoken.I have never seen thsoe eyes again, But Im always looking.

 

I wonder if the story of Large Marge is in there!

 

Growing up done here in South Texas often times we were told the Llorona was going to get us and take us with her if we didn't come in at dark and at bedtime. Supposedly along time ago there was a woman who loved a man but the man would not have anything to do with her because of her kids. So one day she took her kids out to a river, where she threw them off the bridge and they drowned then feeling awful for what she had done jumped in and drowned herself. Now she is said to walk around the river banks searching and crying for her children. People have said throughout the years that they have seen her but I haven't.

 

Hey good for nuthin', Thanks for posting this story. I'd love to use it in my book. Can you shoot me an email at the address given at the Trucker Ghost Stories website? (Don't think i can post a URL or email in the forum.

Thank you,

Anie

 

In the summer of 1975,8 of us where bored on a hot summer evening,so someone suggested we have a seance.One of my friends missed a brother who was killed in Vietnam 1970,so the leader of the seance called to the spirit of Steve,(the deceased) He then asked for a sign of Steve"s spirit being there,then asked if so,for the house lights to be off...,which right then they were...Me being 14 years old,even thought this was just a trick,so I asked,as a sign,for a 1955 Chevy to drive by the front of the house.,no sooner where the words out of my mouth,we heard screeching rubber,broke circle and looked out the front window to see a 1955 Blue Chevy speeding by,with no driver visible. We ran out the front door,jumped on our 10-speed bikes,and followed the taillights,happy to see it make a left turn,knowing it was a dead end...When we arrived shortly later,we found no car,even knocked on doors asking about it,and no one knew a thing.......Never saw that car again...,strange,cause it was our neighborhood...

 

My one brush with the paranormal doesn't seem worthy of publication, but probably good enough for the forum...

Many years ago I was a line driver for a small produce company. Occasionally I would make a route delivery or two on my way heading out. One of the stops was a restaurant that is routinely closed when we deliver. We have a key and the load is simply wheeled into the cooler and we lock up on the way out.

Well this particular morning I decided to use the bathroom after the delivery was put away. The boys room is at the end of a corridor lined with tables and chairs on both sides. The pit stop didn't take long at all, and when I stepped out of the bathroom my heart skipped a beat at what I saw!

In the corridor was a single wooden chair that had been pulled out from a table and was in the middle of the walkway. That alone is not so shocking, but the fact that I had to shimmy sideways to get around it convinces me that it was NOT there when I passed the table on the way to the bathroom. Without a second thought I would have pushed the chair back under the table on my way to the restroom.

Anyway, With the hair on the back of my neck still standing, I made a quick cursory check of the building to make sure no one was there and I split-- post haste!

Never told anyone that story while I still worked for the company, and luckily by chance I never had to make another delivery there.

 

Hi Just Lil Me,

I'd like to find out more about this story. Can you send me a message on the forum or google Trucker Ghost Stories and send me an email through my website?

Thanks!
Annie