Every state seems to have their own legend about the phantom hitchhiker, yet North Carolina's is more fact than fiction. Several people report encountering the phantom hitchhiker who will gladly hop in your car on a dark and rainy night outside of Jamestown.
What should have been an amazing night for Mary Lydia Jones and her date ended abruptly in bloody fashion. As they were on their way home from a dance, the night was dark and rainy, undoubtedly making it hard to navigate the roads. Mary's date lost control of his vehicle around a sharp curve. He crashed the car and died instantly. Mary, still alive, pried her way out of the car in a blood soaked dress. Halfway conscious, she wandered the street pleading passersby to help, but no one stopped. Shorty after, Lydia collapsed, succumbing to her injuries and eventually dying on that deadly road. After the wreck, locals were furious. They demanded a bridge be built to prevent any more wrecks on the curve.
Today, you can visit Lydia's Bridge in Jamestown. Your best chance of a ghostly encounter is on a rainy night beneath the full moon. Go to the tunnel and there you will see Lydia trying to flag down a ride. Known as the 'phantom hitchhiker,' Lydia will accept a ride in your car. She calmly sits in the backseat, sometimes saying very little, only directing you to her mother's house in High Point where her mother is waiting and very worried. Once the driver reaches the destination, Lydia will mysteriously vanish. For drivers who have gone to the door, an elderly woman answers and tells them her daughter died in a wreck many years ago. While many think the ghost is named Lydia, there's no record of a Lydia who died around this time in North Carolina. Some people think the ghost is actually Annie Jackson, who died in a car accident with details that eerily match up with the phantom hitchhiker story. Some think that Annie's middle name was Lydia, and that she went by Lydia. That is why the bridge is known as Lydia's Bridge.
If you think it's all a bunch of hoo-ha, there's been plenty of people who have experienced Lydia and the mysterious phantom hitchhiker. To hear local stories, watch this video by Alex Nelson below - you'll get chills!
I certainly believe this ghost story; Lydia is indeed one of North Carolina's most famous ghosts!
Have you heard this story or encountered Lydia yourself? For more haunted destinations in North Carolina, read about these terrifying haunted bridges.
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