Phoenix-Gila Bend: Driver Experiences Five Hours Missing Time over 200 Miles
A lone motorist encountered an anomalous light near Phoenix in September 1974. He subsequently suffered approximately five hours of missing time, awakening near Gila Bend roughly 200 miles away. His vehicle consumed negligible fuel during the impossible journey, suggesting an anomalous transportation phenomenon.
Background
During autumn 1974, an unnamed serviceman departed California on emergency leave, intending to collect family members from Alabama. While traversing Arizona via Interstate 10, he stopped in Phoenix shortly before midnight to refuel his vehicle. Approximately five miles east of the city, he observed an intensely bright luminescence positioned northeast of his position, resembling automobile high-beams upon a distant mesa.
The witness experienced sudden disorientation. His subsequent conscious memory involved passing an unidentified city-limit sign. Upon stopping at the next exit, he discovered signage indicating Gila Bend, Arizona. His wristwatch displayed 5:30 AM, revealing an inexplicable gap of over five hours. The odometer indicated travel exceeding 200 miles, yet the fuel gauge registered completely full. Verification at a service station confirmed the tank accepted less than one-half gallon of gasoline, suggesting impossible fuel efficiency for the distance traveled.
The witness retained absolutely no recollection of the intervening five-hour period or the journey itself. Investigators noted this represented the second anomalous experience reported by this individual, who remained deeply disturbed by the incident.