NUFORC Sighting 97516

Occurred: 2013-05-01 04:00 Local
Reported: 2013-05-03 01:36 Pacific
Duration: 2-3 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Collegeville, CA, USA

Shape: Unknown
Characteristics: Lights on object, Landed

Three Orange Lights at ground level, rising into night sky.

Date 05/01/2013 Time 0400 Location: San Joaquin County, California Observer: 48 year old male, electronics tech, full time employment. Employed by same electronic security company for 27 years. No illicit or prescription drugs. No alcohol. Non-smoker. Married, 23 years. One child. Excellent health. Wears contact lenses.

Description of environment: Flat, level farmland with orchards. Mostly stonefruit and nuts. Trees typically about 30 feet in height. Few structures. No streetlights, or other ambient lighting. No buildings taller than the occasional two storey house. No other vehicles on the road.

Weather: Clear, dry, no wind Landmarks: Historic Collegeville Cemetery dating to 1871 Airports: Stockton Municipal Airport approximately 6 miles west of location of sighting Military Installations: Sharpe Depot, approximately 8 miles southwest of location of sighting Traveling west on Mariposa Road between Escalon and Stockton, California I encounted three orange lights in the roadway east of Collegeville.

I had just passed Van Allen Road, and from about 3/4 of a mile from Collegeville, I first saw the lights. I thought the lights were an illuminated road work sign warning of construction ahead, however as I approached, I could see the lights were in the center of the road and not off to the side of the road. Since the area is a rural, farming area, I thought perhaps it was marker lights on farm equipment or a semi truck parked across the roadway. I began to slow down as I approached. The posted speed limit is 55 MPH, and I had slowed to about 30 MPH trying to discern what was in the roadway.

The lights were round and an intense orange color. They were in a horizontal line, and equally spaced. The center light appeared to be directly in the center of the roadway, while the outer two appeared to be at the edges of the roadway. The very odd thing is that while the lights were very bright, they didn't seem to cast much illumination. I didn't see any light being reflected off the roadway, the trees on the side of the road were little more than shadows darker than the night sky. One would think with such intense light, some shadow or reflected light on surrounding objects would be visible.

By this time, I had slowed to about 10 MPH and was maybe 300 feet from whatever it was I was seeing. It's very difficult to gauge exactly where you are when it is that dark, surrounded by trees, and there aren't any real landmarks.

The lights suddenly became muted. I don't know how to exactly describe it. Maybe like a piece of frosted glass was placed in front of each light and the lights began to rise into the air.

The lights cleared the tops of the trees, and appeared to start traveling southwest.

I accelerated attempting to get close enough to see what it was. All I could see was the lights.

As I approached the cemetery, the lights began traveling north, crossed the road, and began to gain altitude. As the lights gained altitude, they remained perfectly level.

Then they just winked out. Like someone turned off a switch.

I can't say anything about sound due to the engine noise of the vehicle I was driving.

That's all I can report. It was very weird.

Posted 2013-05-15