The Bandage Man: Terrifying Ghost of Oregon’s Highway 101
A foul stench filled the air—rotten, sour, and suffocating. Before they could react, a figure wrapped in bloody bandages slammed against the back window, clawing to get inside.
By the time they sped off, hearts pounding, the figure was gone—vanished into the night as if it had never been there.
Locals know exactly who it was: the Bandage Man, Oregon’s very own roadside terror.
Who (or What) Is the Bandage Man?
The Bandage Man is one of the Pacific Northwest’s creepiest legends. Described as a half-mummified figure wrapped in bloody bandages, he is said to stalk Highway 101 near Cannon Beach, jumping onto vehicles and terrifying those unlucky enough to cross his path.
Witnesses claim he:
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Appears suddenly on deserted roads.
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Jumps into the back of pickup trucks or onto car hoods.
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Pounds on windows, trying to get in.
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Brings with him a foul, rotting smell that makes people nauseous.
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Vanishes without a trace—even at high speed.
Unlike ghostly hitchhikers, the Bandage Man doesn’t politely ask for a ride. He forces himself into your night whether you want him there or not.
Origins and First Reports
No one knows exactly where the Bandage Man came from, but theories abound.
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The Mutilated Logger: Some say he was a logger crushed in a horrific accident, his body wrapped hastily in bandages before disappearing. His angry spirit now stalks the coastal highway.
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The Roadside Mummy: Others believe he was a construction worker injured in a dynamite blast, bandaged in town, and killed en route to the hospital.
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The Escaped Patient: A few claim he was a mental hospital patient who escaped after being badly burned, only to meet a grisly end along Highway 101.
The earliest stories go back to the mid-20th century, passed around by teens in Cannon Beach. By the 1960s, surfers and truckers were repeating the same chilling details: a bandaged figure, a horrible stench, and sudden appearances along the coastal highway.
Parents often used the story to scare their kids away from parking on backroads, while teenagers dared each other to drive the stretch at night, hoping to prove their bravery—or catch a glimpse of the Bandage Man himself.
What Happens If You Encounter the Bandage Man?
Unlike more passive apparitions, the Bandage Man is aggressive. Encounters follow a familiar—and terrifying—pattern.
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The Truck Jumper:
Teenagers parked near Cannon Beach often told of hearing a heavy thud in the bed of their truck, followed by banging on the back window. When they floored it in panic, the weight eventually lifted, and the smell disappeared. -
The Window Scratcher:
Some drivers describe him climbing onto hoods or passenger doors, his bloody bandages smearing against glass as he claws to get in. -
The Vanishing Rider:
On rare occasions, people claimed to see him sitting in the passenger seat of their car for just a few moments—before disappearing, leaving only the stench behind. -
The Sickening Smell:
Almost every account includes the odor. Witnesses compare it to rotting meat, sulfur, or death itself. It’s often so overwhelming that it lingers even after he vanishes.
Fortunately, the Bandage Man has never been reported to seriously injure anyone. He exists in the terrifying liminal space between danger and legend—close enough to scare, but never crossing the line into murder.
Eyewitness Stories
Like all urban legends, the Bandage Man survives because of stories retold in hushed voices around campfires and late-night drives.
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The Teen Couple: A popular version tells of a couple parked along Highway 101 when the truck bed suddenly dipped under a heavy weight. They claimed a foul smell filled the cab, and when they looked back, a figure in bloodied bandages pressed against the rear window. By the time they reached town, the bed was empty.
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The Surfers: In the 1960s, local surfers reported leaving their boards in the sand to sit in a parked truck. They heard a noise behind them, turned, and saw a bandaged figure climbing into the truck bed. They ran for help, but when they returned, there was no sign of him.
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The Delivery Driver: A truck driver on a night run described a shape climbing onto his rig. He floored it, only for the shape to vanish as suddenly as it appeared. Later, he swore the smell lingered for hours in his cab.
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The Family Encounter: One family recalled driving home from Cannon Beach late at night when their station wagon rocked violently as if something had landed on it. Their children began crying as the smell filled the car, and though they saw nothing in the rearview mirror, the rocking continued until they reached the next town—at which point it stopped instantly.
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The Campers: Campers outside Cannon Beach have reported hearing heavy footsteps circling their tents, accompanied by the same foul odor. Some swore they saw a shambling figure wrapped in bandages moving between the trees, only to vanish when flashlights were turned on.
These stories shift in detail, but the core elements never change: the mummy-like figure, the foul odor, and the terror of being trapped with him on a dark stretch of road.
Similar Legends Around the World
The Bandage Man may be unique to the Oregon coast, but he has plenty of cousins in folklore. Across the world, travelers whisper about roadside spirits, phantom hitchhikers, and revenants that appear in the dead of night.
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The Vanishing Hitchhiker (Global): One of the oldest road legends, the story of the Vanishing Hitchhiker tells of picking up a passenger who disappears before reaching their destination. Like the Bandage Man, the encounter is sudden, terrifying, and usually tied to a tragic death.
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Resurrection Mary (Chicago, USA): Perhaps the most famous vanishing hitchhiker, Mary is a young blonde woman seen near Resurrection Cemetery since the 1930s. She vanishes before the ride ends, often leaving cars cold and drivers shaken—echoing the way the Bandage Man leaves only his sickening stench behind.
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The Smurl Haunting (Pennsylvania, USA): While not a road ghost, the Smurl Haunting also included foul, sulfur-like smells that appeared out of nowhere. The Bandage Man’s revolting odor draws direct comparisons, linking him to demonic or poltergeist-style activity.
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The Phantom Rider (Texas, USA): Cowboys in Texas speak of a headless horseman who gallops beside cars on backroads, then disappears. Both tales highlight the fear of being chased by something impossible to outrun.
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La Planchada (Mexico): A ghostly nurse who appears in hospitals to tend to patients. Though she doesn’t terrify like the Bandage Man, the idea of someone bandaged, bloodied, or tied to tragedy connects her faintly to his horrific, medical-accident origins.
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The Black-Eyed Children (USA, Global): Reports of strange, pale children with all-black eyes who ask for rides or entry into homes. Like the Bandage Man, the black-eyed children radiate unease, and encounters often end with sudden disappearances.
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Japan’s Teke-Teke: The ghost of a woman cut in half by a train, she drags herself along the ground at night, attacking victims. TekeTeke shares the Bandage Man’s mutilated, gruesome appearance and relentless pursuit of the living.
What sets the Bandage Man apart is his physicality. Most road ghosts are glimpses in mirrors or fleeting passengers. The Bandage Man slams into vehicles, rattles windows, claws at glass, and fills the air with a nauseating smell. He isn’t content to be seen—he makes his presence impossible to ignore.
Why the Bandage Man Endures
The Bandage Man has all the ingredients of a lasting urban legend:
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Scary Visual: A mummy-like figure wrapped in bloody bandages.
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Relatable Setting: Everyone knows the unease of driving a lonely road at night.
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Youth Appeal: Teens on dates or surfers swapping tales keep the story alive.
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Local Identity: Cannon Beach embraces the legend, making it part of Oregon’s haunted folklore.
Like all good legends, the Bandage Man is vague enough to be retold anywhere but specific enough to stick. He belongs to Highway 101, where the ocean fog drifts over the pavement and headlights cut through endless darkness. Even today, locals swap stories in diners and around campfires, warning newcomers: if you smell something foul on a foggy night, check your truck bed.
Conclusion
Whether he was once a logger, a patient, or something born purely of imagination, the Bandage Man remains one of Oregon’s most chilling roadside tales. His story blends classic ghost lore with a terrifying twist: he doesn’t wait for you to notice him—he climbs right in.
So if you ever find yourself driving Highway 101 near Cannon Beach on a foggy night and catch a whiff of something rotten, check your mirrors. You may not be alone.
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