I have many fond memories of Utah. I moved many times while living there and have experienced almost everything the state offers. The landscapes are breathtaking, and the people are neighborly. It was the perfect place to live. At least, it was for a while.
When I was 14, my Dad and I were traveling from Spanish Fork to our home in Sanpete County on route 132. It was winter then, and the roads can get rather precarious. The ice can cause your wheels to spin at different speeds and may make you lose control of the steering wheel. I know many, including one of my older brothers, who almost lost their lives due to poor conditions.
During our drive, the sun had set, and we were met with a snowstorm. Looking up from my phone, I noticed it was extremely dark and difficult to look ahead. My Dad eased up on the gas pedal, and we were driving 15 miles under the speed limit. I understood his caution, as neither of us wanted to get stranded in such harsh conditions.
I recall looking down at my phone for a while after we ran out of things to talk about. Pixel Gun 3D, a game I often played, occupied my attention. I was close to winning a match but was interrupted when my Dad muttered something. Looking up to face him, I was about to ask what he said until I noticed he was staring intensely out my window. Curious, I turned my head to see what he was staring at. Off the side of the road were multiple police cruisers and an ambulance. They were surrounding a van that had crashed into a ditch. As I observed the scene, I noticed what I thought were bright blue blankets covering 4 different objects. As if on cue, I heard my Dad tell me that a family of 4 must’ve died in that accident. My heart sank when I realized that those blankets were covering their bodies. I remember sitting back in my seat, trying not to cry over their loss. I was shaken to my very core. Never in my life had I witnessed such a scene.
We sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Eventually, Dad turned on some Michael Jackson. Smooth Criminal could be heard playing through his right earpiece. This caused his mood to lighten up a bit. I loaded up my game and tried to forget what I saw. What happened next still perplexes me to this day. Without warning, The momentum from the car suddenly swerving left nearly caused my head to slam against the passenger door. Dad swore under his breath as he slammed his foot against the gas. At this point, my heart was racing, and I asked him what was happening. At first, he didn’t respond. He kept glancing at the rearview mirror over and over again. His eyes were transfixed with horror and confusion.
He’s usually fearless and stubborn, so to see him panic like this was unsettling. I remember it took me a while to muster up the courage to break the silence and ask him for a second time what was going on. With his attention still divided between the road and the rearview mirror, he told me he saw what must’ve killed that family. He said a giant, furless white wolf was standing in the middle of the road. When he shared that description, a puzzled expression came across his face, and I could tell he wasn’t convinced that it was just a wolf. He continued to explain that it was slender, and its paws were stained with blood. When we got closer, it didn’t attempt to move out of the way. Apparently, it stared my father down with its dark black eyes as if it were ready to take us head-on. We were lucky we didn’t end up driving off the road into a ditch.
What he described and his reaction terrified me. I never did look behind us to see if I could get a glimpse of it. Instead, I kept my eyes glued to the road ahead, contemplating what I had just heard. Not even my phone could distract me. When we finally arrived home, neither of us spoke. We went to our rooms and haven’t discussed it since. It’s been 7 years since that incident, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it for the past month or so. I wish more than anything that I got to see what he saw. I’m convinced it wasn’t a wolf, as there aren’t any established packs in Utah. But if it wasn’t a wolf, what could possibly match his description? Part of me wants to see if he remembers that night, but the other part feels it’s inappropriate to ask. I’ll post what I learn here if I ever decide to bring it up. If you live in Utah, please be careful when you’re on the highways at night.
We also narrated this story on our YouTube channel! You can listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCY3jyLZlWw