Quick Info
November 2–3, 1957, Levelland, Texas. Over a dozen drivers reported a glowing, egg/torpedo-shaped object hovering above the road, causing their engines, headlights, and radios to fail simultaneously. Police, sheriff deputies, and firefighters witnessed the same thing.
Project Blue Book investigated and called it "ball lightning". The case remains one of the strongest vehicle-interference UFO events on record.
Timeline of Events – November 2–3, 1957
The wave unfolded over roughly 4 hours on a rainy, stormy night. Times are approximate, based on witness statements, police logs, and Project Blue Book reports.
- 10:30 p.m. (November 2) Pedro Saucedo and Joe Salaz are driving a 1955 Chevrolet truck on Farm-to-Market Road 1169, 9 miles east of Levelland. They see a bright light streak across the sky and descend toward the road ahead. The object lands on the pavement, blocking their path. Their engine dies, headlights go out, and radio fails. The object is oval/egg-shaped, glowing white-blue, about 200 feet long. It sits for a few minutes, then rises silently and moves away. Engine and lights return.
- 11:00 p.m. Saucedo drives to Levelland police station and reports the incident to Constable Lloyd Bollen. Bollen is sceptical but notes the report.
- 11:45 p.m. Jim Wheeler (driving a 1957 Ford) encounters the same object on Highway 1169. Engine stalls, lights fail. Object hovers above the road, glowing, then leaves. Vehicle restarts.
- 12:00–12:15 a.m. (November 3) Multiple drivers report similar incidents: Ronald Martin, Joe Salaz (again), Newell Wright (Texas Tech student), and others. Cars stall, headlights die, radios go silent when the glowing object hovers overhead or blocks the road. Object described as egg/torpedo-shaped, 200 feet long, glowing white-blue-green, no sound.
- 12:15–12:30 a.m. Sheriff Weir Clem and Deputy Pat McCulloch see the object themselves on Highway 1169. They describe it as a glowing oval, hovering low, then moving away rapidly. Their vehicle is not affected.
- 12:30–1:00 a.m. Firefighter James Long and others see the object. Engines fail when near it. Object leaves a trail of light as it moves.
- 1:00–2:00 a.m. Levelland police receive at least 15 calls from drivers reporting the same thing. Sheriff Clem orders roadblocks and searches. No object is found after it leaves.
- 2:00 a.m. onward Project Blue Book is notified. Investigators arrive over the next days. Witnesses interviewed. No conventional explanation fits. Official conclusion: "ball lightning" (despite no storm activity at the time of most sightings).
November 2–3, 1957 – A Stormy Night Turns Electric
Levelland was a small cotton-farming town of about 10,000 people in West Texas. On the night of November 2, 1957, a light rain was falling, the sky was overcast, and visibility was poor. Locals were used to dust storms and thunderstorms, but nothing prepared them for what happened next.
Pedro Saucedo and Joe Salaz were driving a 1955 Chevrolet truck on Farm-to-Market Road 1169, 9 miles east of town, when they saw a bright light streak across the sky and descend toward the road ahead. The object landed on the pavement, blocking their path. Their engine died, headlights went out, and radio failed. The object was oval/egg-shaped, glowing white-blue, about 200 feet long. It sat for a few minutes, then rose silently and moved away. Engine and lights returned.
"It lit up the whole road. It was shaped like an egg, glowing white-blue. Our truck died completely. No lights, no engine, no radio. It was like everything just stopped."
– Pedro Saucedo (1957 statement to RCMP)
Saucedo drove to Levelland police station and reported the incident to Constable Lloyd Bollen. Bollen was sceptical but noted the report.
11:45 p.m. – The Wave Begins
Jim Wheeler (driving a 1957 Ford) encountered the same object on Highway 1169. Engine stalled, lights failed. Object hovered above the road, glowing, then left. Vehicle restarted.
Multiple drivers reported similar incidents: Ronald Martin, Joe Salaz (again), Newell Wright (Texas Tech student), and others. Cars stalled, headlights died, radios went silent when the glowing object hovered overhead or blocked the road. Object described as egg/torpedo-shaped, 200 feet long, glowing white-blue-green, no sound.
"My car just quit. Headlights, radio, everything. I saw this glowing thing in the road, shaped like an egg, bright white-blue. It scared me to death. When it left, my car started right up."
– Newell Wright (Texas Tech student, 1957 testimony)
12:15–1:00 a.m. – Law Enforcement Witnesses It
Sheriff Weir Clem and Deputy Pat McCulloch saw the object on Highway 1169. They described it as a glowing oval, hovering low, then moving away rapidly. Their vehicle was not affected.
"We saw a glowing object on the road. It was oval, bright, and it took off fast. Our car was fine, but others were stalled all over the county."
– Sheriff Weir Clem (1957 report)
Firefighter James Long and others saw the object. Engines failed when near it. Object left a trail of light as it moved.
Project Blue Book & Official Explanation
Project Blue Book sent investigators. They interviewed at least 15 witnesses. Physical evidence included stalled vehicles (all restarted normally), no damage, no traces. Official conclusion: "ball lightning" (despite no storm activity at the time of most sightings and ball lightning rarely causing vehicle failure).
"Ball lightning? I've seen ball lightning. This was no ball lightning. This was a craft, and it killed every car engine it got near."
– Sheriff Weir Clem (later interview)
Legacy in 2026
Over 69 years later, Levelland 1957 remains one of the strongest vehicle-interference UFO cases: multiple independent drivers, police confirmation, no motive for hoax, and no conventional explanation that fits all the facts. The "ball lightning" conclusion has been widely criticised. The case is frequently cited as a benchmark for close encounters with physical effects on technology.
Key Videos and Interviews
More eyewitness footage and analyses on YouTube
Project Blue Book sent investigators. They interviewed at least 15 witnesses. Physical evidence included stalled vehicles (all restarted normally), no damage, no traces. Official conclusion: "ball lightning" (despite no storm activity at the time of most sightings and ball lightning rarely causing vehicle failure).
"Ball lightning? I've seen ball lightning. This was no ball lightning. This was a craft, and it killed every car engine it got near."
– Sheriff Weir Clem (later interview)
Legacy in 2026
Over 69 years later, Levelland 1957 remains one of the strongest vehicle-interference UFO cases: multiple independent drivers, police confirmation, no motive for hoax, and no conventional explanation that fits all the facts. The "ball lightning" conclusion has been widely criticised. The case is frequently cited as a benchmark for close encounters with physical effects on technology.
