Goffstown, NH: Close encounter with humanoid UFO and vehicle control loss
Lyndia Morel reported a close encounter with a structured UFO displaying multiple colors while driving home from work in November 1973. She experienced loss of vehicle control and observed a humanoid figure through a window of the object before fleeing to a nearby residence for help. Police investigation confirmed she appeared sober, while investigators noted the possible misidentification with Mars could not explain all aspects of the encounter.
Background
In the early morning hours of November 2, 1973, Lyndia Morel, a masseuse working at the Swedish Sauna in Manchester, New Hampshire, experienced a disturbing close encounter while driving home to Goffstown. After signing out from work at 2:45 A.M. and stopping for coffee and gasoline, she noticed a bright light on highway 114 that initially appeared yellow before flashing red, blue, and green colors. Initially dismissing it as a planet, she became alarmed when the object maintained its position relative to her vision and appeared to grow brighter as she drove westward.
As Morel approached the intersection of highways 114 and 114A, the light blinked out temporarily, only to reappear in the same relative position ahead and to her left. The object continued to vanish and reappear twice more as she drove through Goffstown, each time appearing brighter and closer. Upon exiting the city on highway 114, she was startled to see the object directly ahead, significantly closer and larger than before. She described it as an orange and gold globe covered with hexagonal patterns resembling a honeycomb, featuring an oval window on the upper left side. The object emitted red, green, and blue flashes from its center along with a high-pitched sound.
At this point, Morel reported losing control of her vehicle. She found herself unable to remove her hands from the steering wheel and felt the car being pulled toward the object against her will, with the vehicle's speed increasing involuntarily as she passed Westlawn Cemetery. When the object approached to within a few hundred feet, she observed a small humanoid figure standing behind a console through the oval window. The being had a round grayish head, wrinkled face, downturned mouth, and large dark eyes. Morel felt she received a telepathic message urging her not to fear, but she remained terrified.
Managing to overcome the control, Morel slowed her car and turned into the driveway of a house just past the cemetery, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Beaudoin. She fled her vehicle, ignoring their barking German shepherd, and pounded on their door for help while the UFO hovered across the street continuing to emit the high-pitched sound. The Beaudoins, though unable to see or hear the object themselves, contacted police upon finding the terrified woman covering her ears and claiming pursuit by a UFO. Goffstown Officer Daniel Jubinville arrived to find her car with lights on and engine running, and noted in his report that she showed no signs of alcohol or drug influence.
Researcher Walter Webb later commented that while the planet Mars was bright and positioned in the western sky where Morel observed the object, this astronomical explanation could not account for the detailed structural observations, the apparent entity, or the reported physical and psychological effects on the witness. The incident occurred approximately 100 miles from the site of the 1961 Betty and Barney Hill abduction case, adding geographical context to this significant 1970s close encounter report.