The following account was recently received by Manuel Navarette at UFO Clearinghouse:

I was driving home on Rt.94 headed back home. I pulled in to the TA truck stop to get something to drink and something to eat before finishing my trip home. It was about 11:30 p.m. (February 15, 2018) when I left the store and got in my car, as I was pulling out of the parking lot to get onto the Interstate I noticed what looks like large person standing to the side of the road. This thing looks right at me with very bright red eyes and then opened a huge pair of wings and started to fly off like some kind of big bat. The whole damn thing took less than 5 seconds but I know what I saw and it looked like a giant, skinny man with a large pair of wings and red eyes. I’m not sure what to tell you that it was, but I can assure you it’s something I’ve never seen on the Discovery Channel before.

Manuel's notes:

"I spoke with the witness regarding his sighting.

The witness is a 37 year old male who lives in Gurnee, Illinois but works in Racine, Wisconsin. The witness works as an industrial welder and has worked at the same position for 21 years. The witness states that he takes the same route five to six times a week and has stopped at the truck stop in multiple times I have never seen anything like what he saw that night.

The witness states that he stopped at the TA truck stop and spent about roughly 10 minutes inside the store. The witness got in his car and started headed back toward the highway when he saw what looked like a large winged humanoid. He stated that the encounter did not last very long and that during the encounter he saw a large humanoid figure that was solid black with a large pair of wings. The creature was hunched over and appear to be looking at something on the ground when the witness pulled up. The witness says that when he illuminated the creature, it looked up. Then the witness says that the creature took a couple of steps away from him and started flapping its wings and took off into the air.

The witness seemed very sincere, albeit scared and a little bewildered. When asked questions meant of mislead, the witness quickly corrected me and stuck with the original story. He stated that the creature was out of sight within a matter of seconds and that he did not get out of the vehicle because he was a little frightened. When asked if others might have seen it, the witness states that there must be others because it is a busy truck stop. Further investigation of the area and the possibility of posting flyers asking if other witnesses have seen the entity will be necessary."

NOTE: The location is in Zion, Illinois and appears to be approximately a 1/2 mile south of the Wisconsin/Illinois border. I'm going to include this sighting on the interactive map, since it is within 100 or so miles from Chicago. Lon

Have you had a sighting of a flying humanoid or huge bat-like creature in the Chicago, Illinois metro area or at another location? The entity has also been referred to as the 'Chicago Phantom', 'Chicago Mothman', 'Chicago Owlman' & 'Chicago Man-Bat.' Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] - your anonymity is guaranteed. Our investigative group is conducting a serious examination of his phenomenon. We are merely seeking the truth and wish to determine what eyewitnesses have been encountering. Your cooperation is truly appreciated. You can call me directly at 410-241-5974 as well. Thanks...Lon Strickler #ChicagoPhantom