While the informant was studying abroad in London, he stayed with a host family who had family scattered across the area and other parts of England. While he was driving with his host family from London to Hampshire, they gave him an informal tour, telling stories of any landmarks they passed. Traveling on one winding stretch of road entering Surrey, he was told a story about a ghostly apparition that had happened there.

The legend goes that sometime in the early 2000’s, there was a report of a car seen swerving off the road and crashing. When the police responded to the report, they at first didn’t find anything. But they eventually found deep in ditch, covered in growth, an old car’s remains. It appeared to have been there for a while. This hypothesis was confirmed by a decomposed body found near the car. They determined that the body was five months old and identified it as the remains of a criminal who was on the run from the law. This has lead to much speculation as to what the people who called the police had witnessed days before, since there was no sign of a recent crash.

According to the informant’s host family, the ghost of the criminal is restless because his body was never found. They believe that what was seen on the highway was a ghostly reenactment of the incident meant to lead people towards his body. This seemed to be the consensus among the people of that area. There are also theories that the wreckage was disposed of by someone who wanted to cover it up. This legend comes from a need to explain what seems impossible. It captures interest and makes for a good story because  it naturally leads to speculation; whether you believe it be supernatural or otherwise, it is intriguing to think of possible explanations.

Notation:

This story was recently revisited in an online article by a Surrey news source because it was near the 10th anniversary of the crash. The article produces no conclusion and suggests that until one is reached, the story will continue to captivate travelers’ interests.

Bryant, Pete. “A3 ‘Ghost Crash’ Remembered 10 Years On.” GetSurrey. 14 12 2012: n. page. Print.  <http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/2125720_a3_ghost_crash_remembered_10_years_on>.