What Mystery Shrouded the 1979 UFO Encounter with Deputy Val Johnson?

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In August 1979, Sheriff Deputy Val Johnson experienced a mysterious flash of light while patrolling Minnesota Highway 220, leading to a loss of consciousness that lasted between 30 to 40 minutes. Upon regaining awareness, he discovered damage to both his eyes and his squad car, leaving the cause of the incident unexplained. This event has sparked speculation, with some attributing it to UFOs, while others suggest it may be related to a medical condition, such as a stroke or visual disturbances. The discussion highlights the tendency to link unexplained phenomena to extraterrestrial encounters, though skepticism remains regarding the validity of such claims.
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Late one August night, almost 30 years ago, a mysterious flash of light bore down on a Marshall County deputy as he was patrolling the western edge of the county.

The light lasted only a few minutes, before Sheriff Deputy Val Johnson, who was driving along Minnesota Highway 220, lost consciousness of time.

A few minutes grew into half an hour - 40 minutes, before Johnson became aware of the night again, and when that happened, damage had been done to his eyes and his squad car.

The cause of the light has remained a mystery since August 1979. And it's been the subject of much speculation. [continued]
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/14757502.htm
 
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This sounds like one of those phenomenon's that people see that they can't explain so they aliens! or somthing like to explain it.
 
scott1 said:
This sounds like one of those phenomenon's that people see that they can't explain so they aliens! or somthing like to explain it.

It is certainly the sort of story that many won't pay any attention to simply because "UFO" was used in the title. Note also that the only mention of aliens comes from you. :wink:
 
It sounds like he hit something. He lost consciousness and woke up with his body and car banged up.

Must've hit a UFO, haha.
 
Alkatran said:
It sounds like he hit something. He lost consciousness and woke up with his body and car banged up.
I was actually thinking it sounded like a stroke.

My boss has something (undiagnosed) where he sometimes sees pretty specific patterns of light. I was driving with him once and he stopped driving and started trying to map them out, pointing to where they were. I've never blacked out, but I've stood up too fast, gotten dizzy and seen spots - perhaps it is a similar phenomena.
 

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