THE PHANTOM HITCHHIKER OF ROUTE 44
DATE(S) VISITED: MAY 23, 2020
LOCATION: SEEKONK-REHOBOTH LINE, MA
This local legend is somewhat sketchy, as those that report encountering the ghostly hitcher is usually passed on from a friends, friends dad, second cousins aunt... if you catch my drift. So, during the initial months of the Covid-19 pandemic we were going a little stir crazy being shut away indoors so we decided to go for a drive on down to Route 44 to see if we could encounter the mythical legend that is the Redheaded Hitchhiker for ourselves.
HISTORY:
Route 44 is located on the Seekonk-Rehoboth line in Massachusetts, and within the boundaries of the infamous Bridgewater Triangle.
No one really knows who this mystery man is or when the haunting started, but several people have died along this stretch of road, including a man matching the description. The legend of this spectral traveler was apparently made famous by the late Charles Turek Robinson who wrote a book titled The New England Ghost Files which told many of the ghost stories of Rehoboth. But even so, the locals in the area have been reporting the hitchhiker for decades, and the description is almost always the same.
Unsuspecting travelers driving down that part of Route 44 have picked him up after seeing him wandering down the roadside, sometimes with his thumb out. Other instances he has been seen walking into the woods or even into the middle of the road, where he will not move and let the car pass through him. At least once he was seen outside the window of a car that was moving at more than 40 miles per hour!
If someone does stop to give him a ride he will only get into the rear seat, even if there is no one else in the car but the driver. After asking where he is headed he gives no response and will simply point down that same direction of road the driver was already heading in. He always sits in complete silence, but after a short while he will suddenly begin to giggle and those giggles soon turn into uncontrollable maniacal laughter, then in an instant he will simply just disappear whilst the car is in motion.
WEATHER CONDITIONS:
Sun Rise | Transit | Sunset | Sun Rise (Next Day) |
5:16 A.M. | 12:41 P.M. | 8:06 P.M. | 5:15 A.M. |
Moon Phase | Moon Rise | Crosses Meridian | Illumination | Moon Set |
Waxing Crescent (0.9%) | 5:58 A.M. (NE) | 1:31 P.M. (69°) | 1% | 9:11 A.M. (NW) |
Minimum Temperature | 51.4 °F |
Mean Temperature | 59.7 °F |
Maximum Temperature | 67.6 °F |
Mean Sea Level Pressure | 30.06 IN |
Mean Dew Point | No Data |
Total Precipitation (Rain and/or melted snow reported during the day) | 0.00 IN |
Visibility | No Data |
Snow Depth (Last report for the day if reported more than once) | No Data |
Mean Wind Speed | 0.00 MPH |
Maximum Sustained Wind Speed | No Data |
Maximum Wind Gust | No Data |
REPORT & FINDINGS:
No ghostly encounters were had but it was fun to at least drive this stretch of road and find out more regards this local legend. We did a little Facebook Live video whilst we did this investigation which you can view below.