Strange Light Chases
 Area Teen-Ager's Car
 

  Wayne City, Ill. (UPI) - A Wayne County
teen-ager's excited claims that a strange white
light chased his car at speeds up to 120 miles an
hour had residents here buzzing Monday.
  Ronnie Austin, 18, told authorities that the
light followed him and Phyllis Bruce, 18, ten
miles as they drove home early Sunday from
a drive-in theater at Mt. Vernon.
  Young Austin said the light stalled the car
engine as it passed over and caused the radio
"to go crazy."  At one time it approached as
close as 100 feet, he estimated.  He said it made
a humming sound and had a "cooling effect" as
as it passed overhead.
  Young Austin bolted into the home of fa-
ther, Orville, and told him to get a gun.  Austin
said the gun seemed to cause the light to draw
nearer, so he closed the door, turned off all the
lights in the house and telephoned authorities.
  Wayne County Deputy Sheriff Harry Lee, one
of the officers who answered the call, said he
saw the light at a distance.  He said it was
"three or four times bigger than a star and
was moving but not twinkling."
  Kenneth Talbert, police radio operator at
Fairfield, said the light had the shape of a
cross.  Wayne City Marshal George Sexton said
the light looked like the morning star to him.
  Mrs. Ebbie Austin, grandmother of the Austin
youth, said the light had her dogs barking dur-
ing the night.
  "It was ten times bigger than the moon and
was much brighter than the morning star,"
said Mrs. Dwight Withrow, a neighbor.
  Sexton said young Austin became so excited
when he viewed the retreating light with authori-
ties outside his parents' home later that they
had to carry him inside.  A physician was called
to give him a sedative.
  The youth's mother, who is employed at a
factory at Fairfield, said she had no idea what
the light was.
  "But we were so excited we didn't even
have breakfast Monday," she said.