I was attacked by something while driving

[kentuckian]

At least, I don't know what it was or any other way to describe it. I would LOVE to hear someone explain this away for me. I posted this in another forum and had many people offer suggestions, but honestly no one was able to offer an explanation that I hadn't already thought of and know to be -inaccurate. And that's fine! But having experienced I guess I kind of hope to know when it can be explained -if it can be.

To begin with, I have never been an avid believer in things supernatural. And to be completely honest, I tend to be skeptical of stories. Except that this happened to me over 30 years ago, I know what happened, and it forces me to try and understand the unknown. I seldom share the story because I don't expect anyone to believe it. I wouldn't if someone told me. The difference is, it happened to me so I am confronted by my own experience versus my general ideas about nature. Here's what happened:

I was 16 or 17 years old and had dropped my girlfriend off after a date and was heading home. She lived in town; I lived in the country. As I was nearing the top of a ridge, surrounded by farmland on either side, something began beating sporadically on the roof of my car. It was directly over the passenger side. And it was beating hard, like fists pounding. I immediately hit the brakes and it stopped, but only momentarily. Then it began again. I took off and hit the brakes again attempting to throw it off. Each time I hit the brakes it would stop for a moment. I then tried swerving and it would again stop momentarily, but immediately begin again. I was scared to death! My tongue went numb?! It was a few years later during my training as a medic in the Army that I learned this is a sign of hyperventilating. This pounding on the roof of my car continued for approximately four miles until I got home. The second I pulled into our driveway it stopped. Our drive was about 1/4 mile and it had completely stopped as soon as tires hit the drive. I was afraid to get out the car, but forced myself to jump out and turned to see what might be there. Nothing. I ran in the house, woke my parents, and made my dad come out and look at the car. He tried to tell me a stick had lodged in the wheel well, or an opossum had jumped on the roof, something logical. I know better. The next day, in daylight, I made him look again. I described it to him and replicated the sound by banging on the roof. My father, an engineer, said there had to be a logical explanation, but didn't know what it was.

Nothing like that ever happened before, nor again. I've never seen a ghost, heard strange sounds, anything unusual. But this happened to me and it was a terrifying experience. I would love to know what it might have been. I would love for someone to give me a logical explanation.

The only other relevant thing I can add is that there had been a horrible triple homicide on that ridge about 10 years prior, before we had even moved to the area. This was in Jefferson County, KY in 1983. While trying to find something on the web about this I found reference to Kenucky's "Pope Lick Monster" which is in the general area. Only it relates to stories of luring people onto a train trestle with only one mention of jumping on a car. Although it is in the general area, I was still several miles from there and I've never heard of the car attacks except in this general description I found.

 

[Duke]

Any physical evidence of the event, like dents or other damage to the roof? A storm with hailstones not much bigger than peas dimpled my car roof to where it looked like a golfball. The pounding you describe, if caused by something in the physical realm, would have left damage.

 

[7Critter]

Hi kentuckian. Thanks for sharing your story. Have you ever had any dreams about this event ? Did anything unusual happen close to the time of this event ( immediately before or after) ?

 

[kentuckian]

No. Neither. It was an isolated event. Of course I was nervous about diving that route again for awhile, but we lived remotely enough it was literally the only road to get to my home without circumventing about 20 miles or better. But nothing ever happened again. Over the years I have shared the story occasionally with people I trust, but recently have become more determined to see if the ability to reach more people can help me determine what happened.

 

[kentuckian]

Any physical evidence of the event, like dents or other damage to the roof? A storm with hailstones not much bigger than peas dimpled my car roof to where it looked like a golfball. The pounding you describe, if caused by something in the physical realm, would have left damage.

Great point. And that makes it all the more strange. No sign of damage. No dents, no scratches, nothing. And yet, it was literally like a person banging on the roof. The next day , when I forced my reluctant father to look at the car again, I had him hit the roof over the passenger seat -and that was the sound I heard.

 

[WitchAndShaman]

Great point. And that makes it all the more strange. No sign of damage. No dents, no scratches, nothing. And yet, it was literally like a person banging on the roof. The next day , when I forced my reluctant father to look at the car again, I had him hit the roof over the passenger seat -and that was the sound I heard.

Welcome to PNF K,

Just a single sanity check. Was there a canopy of trees on any part of the road where this occurred? I am repeatedly surprised at how LOUD acorns are when they fall on my roof of my SUV. Every single time I flinch and swear that a boulder has hit the car.

 

[kentuckian]

Welcome to PNF K,

Just a single sanity check. Was there a canopy of trees on any part of the road where this occurred? I am repeatedly surprised at how LOUD acorns are when they fall on my room of my SUV. Every single time I flinch and swear that a boulder has hit the car.

legit question. But no. It was farmland fields on both sides of the road when it started. And as much as I would like to think it was something falling onto it, it truly was a pounding. If you picture what it would be like to have a person on your car hanging on and banging then you have a good idea. I hit the brakes or swerve and it stops for a short period of time, almost as if it needed to grab hold of the roof and hold on. But that makes no sense because if there was something supernatural that could drop or appear on my roof, why would it need to hold onto something?

 

[Debi]

Welcome to the forum, Kentuckian. You say you are looking for a "logical" answer. Are you also open to a paranormal one as well?

 

[Duke]

I'm out of my element here, so I defer to those who have a background in such things. I'm a hardware guy, however, and am curious about the automobile involved. Would you please provide details relative to the car? Make/model, year of manufacture, etc? Also, what do you know of the car's history? Bought new or used by your family, and if bought used, know anything about the original/previous owner(s)? Was it ever in an accident to your knowledge prior to your experience? Any external attachments, like luggage or bike racks?

 

[Debi]

I'm out of my element here, so I defer to those who have a background in such things. I'm a hardware guy, however, and am curious about the automobile involved. Would you please provide details relative to the car? Make/model, year of manufacture, etc? Also, what do you know of the car's history? Bought new or used by your family, and if bought used, know anything about the original/previous owner(s)? Was it ever in an accident to your knowledge prior to your experience? Any external attachments, like luggage or bike racks?

For being "out of your element', that was a fantastic list of helpful questions there, Duke! Thank you.