South Carolina

The Story of a Haunted South Carolina Road and a Vanished Hitchhiker

Locals believe it's the ghost of Larry Stevens, a pilot who in the 1950s took off from Greenville and crashed in the region after flying into a rainstorm

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For decades, drivers in South Carolina have reported seeing a ghost looking for a ride along a country road in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Highway 107 winds through Walhalla, in Oconee County, a small town in the north-west tip of the state.

Daneen Schatz, the communications supervisor for the Greenville County Library System, says the man known as the "Walhalla Hitchhiker" has reportedly been sighted dressed in a black raincoat and muddy boots.

"They say that he is quiet, expressionless and pale," she said.

Locals believe it's the ghost of Larry Stevens, a pilot who in the 1950s took off from Greenville and crashed in the region after flying into a rainstorm.

Debris from Stevens' plane was found scattered on SC-107 between Moody Spring and a nearby scenic overlook, according to news reports at the time.

Schatz said drivers have reported picking up a hitchhiker at various points between the two locations, with the mystery rider asking to be dropped off at either points — depending on which way the driver was headed.

"Then, he mysteriously disappears upon arriving at his destination," Schatz said.

But the mysterious hitchhiker does leave a sign of his presence behind.

"He usually leaves a wet spot in your car as the only evidence that you have left that you ran into this person," Schutz said.

So, if you find yourself driving at night in the rain on Highway 107 in Oconee County, Schatz says to watch for the Walhalla hitchhiker.

Use battery-powered lights instead of candles, leave pumpkin carving to adults and avoid baggy costumes. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released a list of tips for having a safe Halloween.
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