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This article was published in the daily newspaper Sunday Journal-Star, of Peoria, Illinois, USA, on September 25, 1966.
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A 21-year-old Peoria man said a round blue object in the sky took control of his car early yesterday morning and drove him several miles out of his way.
Leon P. Gaines of 1012 W. 3rd Ave., said he saw the object twice, the first time when he was taking his girl friend, Miss Geneva Robinson of 720 W. McBean street, Apt. 473, to her home about 3:30 a.m.
HE DESCRIBED the object as large and blue and when he and Miss Robinson saw it hovered over Dewey Cleaners, 306 S. Sheridan Rd., for several minutes, they said.
Gaines said that as he drove his car toward it to investigate, the object zoomed into the sky and disappeared. Miss Robinson gave the same description of the object as Gaines.
Gaines said the object took control of his car a short time later on his way home from Miss Robinson's.
He said that as he turned from MacArthur Highway onto second Ave., the object, smaller but still blue, reappeared and suddenly "seemed to take control" of his car.
"My car began to pick up speed... the brakes wouldn't work... and the doors wouldn't open," aines related. He said he tried to steer the vehicle, but the steering apparatus also failed.
GAINES STATED that the object remained above his car as he went out Second Avenue, past the Madison Park shopping center and almost to the intersection of the airport road.
Gaines said he regained control of his car and drove to the police station where he reported the incident. He said he was frightened by the incident and "it kind of shakes you up."
"When I saw it I knew it couldn't be the moon... I also knew that if it had been the moon it would have been the prettiest one I had ever seen,"
Gaines said."When I first saw the blue object I drove toward it because I wanted to get a close look," Gaines said.
After receiving the first report from Miss Robinson, the police department contacted Hanna City Radar Base officials who could shed no light on the sighting.
Officials there suggested a weather balloon might have fallen in the area. They said they had received a couple of other calls about the object.
A Journal Star route man reported he saw a round object in the sky at about 4:35 a.m. when he was delivering papers east of the city. He said at first it looked like an orange moon. Then, he said, it took on the appearance of a rising rocket. Later, he reported, he looked back at it and saw what appeared to be jet vapor trails.
