Bigfoot Sightings

OBSERVED: Back in the summer of 1996 I was a pizza delivery person in Franklin, TN and was on my way back from a delivery at the The Landings in Brentwood off Moore’s Lane. I don't recall the date, it was in July or August, but the radio had just noted that the temp was still near 90 degrees at 11 PM. I was on Mallory Lane driving south. I had just crossed Jordan Rd and was heading up the hill towards Franklin. There was only a black SUV in front of me and no cars behind me. Suddenly the SUV in front of me slammed on its brakes. Out from the left (east) side of the road ran a massive bipedal creature. It crossed less than 5 or 6 feet in front of the SUV and ducked behind a large oak tree on the right side of the road. It crossed three lanes in only 6 or 7 very long strides. The creature stood with its left side pressed to the tree looking around its south side towards the SUV’s lights (I don't think it could see the SUV as it was nearly parallel to the tree). I had to slam on my brakes too and I veered right to avoid hitting the SUV. I was downhill from the tree a few feet behind the SUV and had a perfect view of the back of the creature, which was about 25 feet away from me. It appeared to be approximately 9 feet tall but stood with a slightly stooped posture. It never turned towards me (and never even looked towards us as it ran in front of us) so I never saw its face. But its hair was long, maybe 6 inches, and a dark reddish-brown. I remember it hanging from its arms like the fringe on a suede jacket. It flowed when the creatures arms swung as it ran. The arms were long and VERY muscular, with huge biceps. The legs were long as well. The body appeared proportionate and very muscular all over, and the hair was thick enough I could see no skin underneath. I did not get a good look at the head as it was bent around the tree watching the car in front of me and it was at the top range of my headlights and somewhat shadowed. At first I thought it must be some kid in a costume pulling a prank. But all I could think of was it was just too hot for a costume like that and that the kid must be on stilts or have another kid on his shoulders! Yet that was the only thing that made sense to me.

After approximately 30 seconds the car in front of me took off quite fast and I was left alone with the creature. I was facing uphill, and the field to my right was nearly level with the road for quite a distance. The only house around was a good distance away (maybe 500 feet) across that field and its driveway was on Jordan Rd. Someone was still awake as there were lights on inside. The creature stepped away from the tree and continued to watch the SUV drive off for a few seconds. Then without looking towards me at all, it took off running across the field towards a barn to the southwest, back behind the house. I immediately drove over the curb to follow the creature with my lights. It ran SO FAST! The gait was even and smooth too, which surprised me as I then realized this couldn't be a kid on stilts. I kept thinking it should trip in that field and fall, yet it never even stumbled. My headlights now pointed across the field and I could clearly see the back of the creature. While its gait was smooth and it was very fast, it wasn't a “pumping” run, but a smooth, heavy gait, if that makes sense. It wasn't “pumping” its arms and legs like a track runner, but the arms were slightly bent and swinging, its hands faced back and were cupped. It was the fastest thing I have ever seen on two feet. It ran out of my headlight range within just 2-3 seconds. I was just amazed at the speed it had! It literally crossed that field in seconds. I remember wondering why it wasn't afraid of the snakes. The land had recently been cleared for development and the road had just opened all the way to the Galleria Mall that year. We saw copperheads dead on the road there daily. I also wondered where it was coming from. To the east there was only field and woods that butted against I-65. Either the creature had been stopped by I-65 and was turning back, or it crossed it from the east.

I was pretty shaken up when I got back to work. The only other person working that night was my manager, Shawn. He immediately noted something was wrong, saying I looked like I had seen a ghost. I was literally shaking and I felt ridiculous, but told him I thought I had just seen a Bigfoot. Amazingly he did not laugh at me, but heard me out and told me he believed I saw something that frightened me. Then he told me that unfortunately my next delivery was up at The Landings again. I was so shaken that I was actually scared to make the drive up there. On my way back from the delivery I saw police cars with flashing lights at the house and a cop car was at the stop sign on Jordan Rd. waiting to turn onto Mallory, so I flagged him down. I asked him what was going on down at that house and he told me the lady of the house had seen “something in her window”. I felt so embarrassed, but I told him what I had seen and told him there was a black SUV in front of me that had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting it. He made no reply except to thank me and get back into his car. He then proceeded to turn around and go back to the house. I never heard a word more about any strange sightings and to this day wish I had gone to the house the following day to question the lady about what she saw at her window. But I felt so stupid! What would I say? "I saw a bigfoot in your back yard last night"? Today the area is developed and mostly commercial with large stores and shopping centers and that house and the wooded area across the street is no longer there.

To be honest with you, I never really bought into the Bigfoot myth. I thought that even if they DID exist they were a Pacific Northwest creature, certainly never considered one would be found in Middle Tennessee. Matter of fact, I did not consider them at all. I have not shared my story with many people, as I knew it was just too difficult to believe. At the time I saw Bigfoot, Williamson County was undergoing the transformation from a large farming county to a commercial hub surrounded by upscale housing developments.

Additional Info: While I don't recall seeing the feet, I do recall that I was wondering how it could run across that field so fast without shoes and not stumble on the rocks or worry about snakes. I must have noticed the feet at some time...I just don't recall SEEING bare feet.

Activities of Witness: Just the SUV in front of me. They were driving normally. No other cars on the road. The house that reported the prowler was put on the market that very week.

Description of Creature: At least 9 ft tall, red hair which was long (4-6 inches) along the arms and "flowed" as the arms swung. Massive shoulders, about 4 ft wide, the torso was also massive. Long arms and legs. The arms hung down near the knees it seemed.

Other Notes: While that area is more developed today (a Walmart sits across the street and the property the house was on is now a plaza), the tree is still there but other trees have grown up around it. It is the only clump of trees on that stretch of road and can be seen on Google Earth (Its right across from the Walmart! LOL). The field the creature ran across is still there, undeveloped, but the barn is gone.

Other (Informational or Encounter History in the General Area) Notes: In February this year I decided to try to find out who owned the house (where the prowler was reported) in 1996 and called the tax office in Williamson County. After awhile, the woman who was helping me finally talked me into telling her why I wanted the information that we were trying so hard to track down. Once I told her what I saw, she whispered that she had seen one also. She asked permission to call me when she got out of work. When she did, she admitted that she and her mom saw one when she was little that ran out in the road in front of them. Then again when she was 17 she saw one on her property. Her grandfather told her that the place they lived in used to be called "Evil Nealy's" (spelling?) when he was a young man, because there was a "red devil" that lived on the land and several times the locals showed up with guns to try to hunt the thing down. She said she had never told anyone what she had seen, not even her husband. I have emailed her a few times, but she has not replied. I get the impression she doesn't want to discuss it! LOL I understand!

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