Loch Raven Reservoir car-stall case (26 October 1958)
On the night of 26 October 1958 two men driving across the Loch Raven Reservoir bridge near Baltimore saw a 100-ft egg-shaped object hovering over the bridge. Their car stalled and its lights went out; after they got out, a flash of light made their faces hot, there was a dull explosion and the object shot straight up. Both were treated for burns. The case is in Blue Book and J. Allen Hynek wrote it up in The UFO Experience. Gerb raises it as context for Harland Bentley's Nike-site account the same year.
How plausible · High
Two named men reported a close object, a stalled car and burns that were treated; Blue Book and Hynek took it seriously.
- ●●Access At 75 ft.
- ●●No gain sought Nothing to gain.
- ●●Checkable details check out Blue Book file; Hynek's write-up.
- ●●Fits the documented skeleton Car-stall and EM effects match the classic pattern.
- ●○Cost of speaking Named and reported to the authorities.
- ●○Consistent over time Both men agree.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-24.
On the record
- The Blue Book file; Hynek, The UFO Experience (1972).Blue Book