A Trip to Store Ends 900 Miles from Home

[angelburst29]

An 89-year-old Pennsylvania man’s trip to a store to buy electrical supplies ended up on a slight 900-mile detour to rural Alabama. He claims to have no memory of his expedition.

Elderly Pennsylvania Man’s Trip to Store Ends 900 Miles from Home in Alabama
https://sputniknews.com/art_living/201612241048948866-elderly-man-drives-900-miles/

Jody Tarbutton of Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, grandfather and World War II veteran, climbed into his pickup truck Friday afternoon to do a bit of shopping. The next thing he remembers is being in an unfamiliar restaurant. Tarbutton then approached several police officers who were eating breakfast and asked them where he was, and they told him that he was in Haleyville, Alabama, and that it was Monday morning.

The officers ran Tarbutton's driver's license and discovered that he had been missing for two days. Tarbutton was taken to the hospital and was treated for high blood pressure and dehydration. His daughter, Cindy Gatta, flew down from her home in Delaware to retrieve her father, who was nonetheless in high spirits following his misadventures. He was discharged from the hospital Tuesday morning and has now returned home. His flight home is reportedly the first time since the war that he has flown in an airplane. Gatta called the safe return of her missing father a "Christmas miracle." "We never, never, never expected to hear the news that he was in Alabama… it's just been amazing that it all turned out so well," she said.

She also praised the hospitality of the people of Haleyville for helping her find Tarbutton. Haleyville mayor Ken Sunseri said that he was "extremely proud" of the officers and the community at large. "They were a tremendous help to the family," the mayor of the city of some 4,200 said.

Haleyville police say that they are almost certain that Tarbutton must have driven through severe weather over the weekend. They found hamburgers and a drink inside of his truck. The vehicle will be returned, but whether the veteran will also get the keys to operate it is not known.

 

[Ant22]

Wow, this is strange. There's no mention of dementia or Alzheimer's anywhere in the article so I wonder what actually happened to him

 

[Beau]

Yeah, sounds like something I've read in John Keel's books or the Missing 411 cases. He could have been in a fugue state, but that sounds like a rather long time, and to be able to drive without any issues for that long in a fugue state sounds implausible to me. Very strange...

 

[Ant22]

Yeah, sounds like something I've read in John Keel's books or the Missing 411 cases. He could have been in a fugue state, but that sounds like a rather long time, and to be able to drive without any issues for that long in a fugue state sounds implausible to me. Very strange...

Yeah, it did make me think of High Strangeness. There was a story about Laura's friend who was advised not to drive alone, especially in remote areas and as far as I remember continuing to do so didn't end well for her. Or I might have read it in the Wave? I'm sorry I'm not being very specific.

The Missing 411 cases video won't play I'm afraid. It tells me it's a private video and I cannot access it.

I'll defo check out the John Keel and Operation Trojan Horse thread you posted later on though! I haven't heard of fugue state, I'll look into it too.

Thank you for the additional sources and hints!

 

[Palinurus]

Something similar, though less extreme, happened to my father a few years back. He was in the same age group (above mid eighties) and went astray due to a misread detour because of road maintenance works. He departed for a simple errand and was due to go along familiar roads when the unexpected detour threw him off course. He ended up about over a hundred miles astray before he came to his senses and made inquiries as to where he was actually. He was transported back by a cab driver while that man's wife followed my fathers car in their own vehicle in order to have transportation back to their home after delivering him. Afterwards my father told us that he simply had been trying to find familiar ground again all the way through, and just had lost track of time while doing that.

Needless to say, the whole family was devastated and relieved at the same time that he had survived this trip safe and sound. He never drove a car himself after this incident. ;)

 

[Ant22]

Something similar, though less extreme, happened to my father a few years back. He was in the same age group (above mid eighties) and went astray due to a misread detour because of road maintenance works. He departed for a simple errand and was due to go along familiar roads when the unexpected detour threw him off course. He ended up about over a hundred miles astray before he came to his senses and made inquiries as to where he was actually. He was transported back by a cab driver while that man's wife followed my fathers car in their own vehicle in order to have transportation back to their home after delivering him. Afterwards my father told us that he simply had been trying to find familiar ground again all the way through, and just had lost track of time while doing that.

Needless to say, the whole family was devastated and relieved at the same time that he had survived this trip safe and sound. He never drove a car himself after this incident. ;)

Gosh, such a stressful event Palinurus, both for your father and the entire family! One very fortunate difference is that luckily your father remembered everything that happened to him whilst he was away

 

[PhoenixToEmber]

Yeah, sounds like something I've read in John Keel's books or the Missing 411 cases. He could have been in a fugue state, but that sounds like a rather long time, and to be able to drive without any issues for that long in a fugue state sounds implausible to me. Very strange...

It also reminded me of something out of a Keel book. What a bizarre story.

 

[3DStudent]

I saw this article earlier this week but just now read it. It is indeed strange. He'd had to have filled up his tank once or twice, being a pickup truck and going 900 miles. And I thought complete dissociative episodes only last, for say, an afternoon. He was "out of it" for over 60 hours. It did bring thoughts of high strangeness like an abduction, but that's a big miscalculation. Aren't people put back at least a few miles away? While that's creepy enough, even more disturbing may be this that comes to mind: Session 4 November 1995:

Q: (T) It's an "E" ticket ride! When the word gets out that people can go to that area of New Mexico and experience true strangeness, it's going to draw a lot of people.

A: Not that simple... Picture driving to reach New Mexico by car and "skipping" over and arriving in San Diego instead, or... driving to the grocery store in Santa Fe, and winding up in Moscow, instead.

Q: (L) So, in other words, this is going to create a situation where people on the planet are going to become very confused and upset over this situation. (J) Yes, have you ever tried going shopping in Moscow? (T) They're going to draw a lot of people when they find out that happens! (L) And being forced to expand their perception and awareness because of the anomalous events!