Shadow Creature Encounter on Highway 145

California's Central Valley is known for its vast stretches of farmland, quiet backroads, and often eerie stillness after dark. Over the years, numerous reports have emerged from locals and travelers alike describing unexplained figures, shadowy creatures, and strange phenomena along rural highways and country roads. The below encounter on Highway 145 adds to a growing collection of Central Valley sightings that hint at possibly something mysterious lurking just beyond the edge of sight—something that leaves an impression but resists easy explanation.

In December 2022, a driver traveling from the Monterey Bay area to Fresno experienced a bizarre and unsettling encounter on Highway 145 near the small town of Coalinga. While accompanied by two passengers, the witness spotted a strange, shadowy creature out of the corner of their eye about three-quarters of the way down the highway.

The figure appeared dark and translucent—like a shadow—but moved with the speed and shape of a monkey running on all fours. It descended from a hill, ran alongside the truck, and then crossed the road in front of them. All three people in the vehicle saw it, and when the driver asked the other two if it was real, they all instinctively replied “no,” despite having clearly witnessed something.

Rattled but continuing on, the driver soon experienced more strangeness. Roughly 30 miles later, their GPS went black. When it came back online, it rerouted them down an unfamiliar farm road. Trusting the system, they turned—but soon came across a utility van sitting motionless under a streetlight in the middle of the road. As they approached, an overwhelming sense of dread took over, and they decided to turn back, returning to Highway 145.

Later, the witness discovered that the entire trip was missing from their Google Maps history—no trace of the route, despite the fact they made it to Fresno and returned with the car.

The post ends with a question to the community: Has anyone else experienced anything strange on Highway 145?

Source: Reddit – Haunted Highway 145