Yes, it’s true. The headline does not lie.
He was driving his semi-tractor trailer heading east on Interstate 80 in Clearfield County, Pa. At about 2:30 a.m. back in the Summer of 1988, there it was, Bigfoot, THE legendary cryptid that’s teased mankind with its alleged existence for more than a century.
That’s exactly the tale told – and repeated when necessary – by Rj Smith, a resident of Dallas, W.Va., who has declared his candidacy as a Republican for the Second Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Smith, a retired over-the-road truck driver who also worked in local coal mines, was on the primary ballot in 2012 for the District 4 seat in the state’s House of Delegates in District 4.
“I’m running now for the same reasons why I ran back then, and that’s to tell the voters exactly what they need to hear,” Smith said. “Nothing is getting done in Washington, D.C., because everything has to be a show these days, and that’s not good for anyone.
“And why would I tell anyone about seeing Bigfoot if I didn’t see what I saw? I’m sure a lot of people think I’m crazy so what good am I doing for myself?,” he asked. “It’s what I saw, though.”
Pennsylvania’s Clearfield County and Rockton Mountain have been the locations of more than 40 Bigfoot sightings since 1971, according to the county’s Facebook page, and even the owner of the community’s Over the Mountain Restaurant refers to the eatery as the “Bigfoot Headquarters”.
“It was 2:30 a.m. and I was driving a semi-tractor trailer and I saw this thing step onto the median out of nowhere,” Smith said. “I had my bright lights on because there was no one around and I was seeing deer along the side of the road. The first thing I thought was that I was seeing a bear along the interstate, but then that thing took three steps across the interstate and right then I knew it was not a bear.
“It turned a little toward me and my truck, and that was it,” he recalled. “I saw it go over the bank and then up a hill. And it was on two legs. This all took place in about seven seconds so there was really no time to see its face or anything like that. But I saw what I saw and the only thing I believe it could have been was a Bigfoot sighting.”
His message to the doubters in the crowd?
“There are a lot of people who believe in Bigfoot. You cannot tell thousands and thousands of people they’re wrong when there are thousands of people who have seen what I’ve seen,” Smith said. “Plus, there are records of incidents involved with shooting and discoveries of skeletons that have been enormous.
“There’s a lot history – real history – about Bigfoot, and every nation has a name for him,” he said. “And that’s because people like me swear by their stories. Again, think about it … seriously, why would I lie? So, people can have a chance to call me nuts? No. It’s because I know what I saw.”
Bigfoot Fun Park?
Yes, the park exists in Branson, Mo., and that’s because Bigfoot is pretty darn famous.
There was a sighting reported in New Jersey just four days ago, and there were similar reports registered in Mississippi, too. In fact, authorities on all levels have received more than 10,000 sighting claims in the continental United States in the last 50 years.
That’s why there’s a Bigfoot beer and a Bigfoot Trail, and customers can order Bigfoot hot dogs on 3rd Street in New Martinsville. There’s a Bigfoot Festival in Forest County, Pa., a California loan company called Bigfoot Capital, and “Bigfoot,” a TV movie from 2012. A reality show called “Finding Bigfoot” is in its 13th season, and let’s not forget the early-90’s sitcom “Harry and the Hendersons.”
So, yes, the intrigue in the search for Sasquatch has long been high in the U.S., and Smith knows why.
“When it took those steps across the interstate, it appeared to me to be gliding,” Smith remembered. “His feet were covered with fur and his head didn’t bob up and down like a human does when we walk. It was very smooth movements the thing made across that interstate. And it took very long steps.
“Could it have been a bear? If so, it was a very different bear than what we have here,” the conservative said. “People think you’re nuts when I tell them this story. If anyone can tell me what it was and prove to me what I believe it was, then OK. But until then? I believe I saw Big Foot, Sasquatch, whatever you want to call it.”
Yes, Smith has answered all of the questions.
“Over and over, actually,” he said.
No, he wasn’t inebriated in anyway.
“I was driving my truck so, no, that never happened during my career,” he insisted.
And yes, he was wearing his glasses.
“Always,” Smith said quickly. “I have 20-20 vision when I wear them, so they are always on my face. Without them, I’m like 20/100. Let’s just say, not good.
“OK, sooo … anything else?” the candidate asked sarcastically. “If not, go vote for Rj Smith.”
