Montana has more than its share of mysteries — just ask anyone about our famous UFO sightings and ghost stories, for example. But one of our most terrifying tales is the unsolved mystery of Patricia Meehan, which left local authorities absolutely baffled.

On the night of April 20, 1989, a car was seen driving on the wrong side of the road on Highway 200 near Circle.
Lorenzo C. / Flickr
37-year-old Patricia Meehan was behind the wheel. Unsurprisingly, she was involved in a near head-on collision with a car after narrowly missing another.
The driver of the vehicle Patricia hit was Carol Heitz, an off-duty police officer. When Carol got out of her car, she said Patricia just stood there and stared at her without speaking.
David DeHetre / Flickr
Another witness to the accident, Peggy Bueller, saw Patricia standing on the other side of a fence, staring at the accident as if she was an observer. After awhile, Patricia turned and walked away from the accident... and disappeared.

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Local authorities searched for Patricia all night, but she'd disappeared, and she never contacted anyone she knew again.
Nad Alem / Flickr
Patricia's parents said she'd been depressed before her disappearance -- in fact, she had an appointment with a psychologist scheduled for April 21. This promoted some to wonder if she'd been driving that way because she was suicidal. There's also speculation that the trauma and shock of the car accident triggered amnesia.
While there has been no proof that Patricia has been seen since that night in 1989, there have been thousands of reported sightings of her over the years.
Wikipedia
Patricia has allegedly been spotted all over Montana and Washington State, usually hitching rides at truck stops. She's also ben seen at diners and restaurants, with servers describing her as jumpy, dazed, and in a hurry.
Patricia had an ex-boyfriend in Spokane and a sister in Seattle, so the idea of her hitchhiking there was feasible...except she never made contact with anyone she knew.
Ed Suominen / Flickr
And even for someone with amnesia or mental health issues, 30 years is a long time to stay off the radar. Still, to this day, no one knows if Patricia is alive or where she is.

The disappearance of Patricia Meehan is one of Montana’s strangest mysteries. Here are some other unsolved cases to ponder.

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