Long Prairie Rocket and Creatures

On October 23, 1965, around 7:15 PM, 19-year-old radio announcer James F. Townsend for station KEYL was driving west on State Highway 27, about four miles east of Long Prairie, Minnesota. As he rounded a curve, his car engine, headlights, and radio suddenly died, and the vehicle coasted to a stop about 20 feet from a silver-colored rocket-like object, 30-40 feet tall and 10 feet wide, resting on legs or fins and blocking the road. Townsend got out and observed three small brownish-black creatures, described as looking like 'tin cans on tripods' or 'beer cans' with matchstick legs and tripod arms, about six inches tall, with no visible eyes or facial features. They emerged from behind the object and stood underneath it in an intense, bright, colorless circle of light. Townsend felt they were staring at him despite lacking eyes. After about three minutes of silence, the creatures returned to the object. A loud humming sound began, the bottom glowed, and the object rose vertically, turning off its light about a quarter mile up and vanishing. At that moment, Townsend's car lights and radio came back on, and the engine started without him touching the starter. He drove at high speed back to town to report the incident. Other local witnesses, including hunters, reported seeing a bright light in the area that night. The case was documented by investigators including those associated with Project Blue Book files.