This article was published in the daily newspaper Le Journal de l'Ouest, France, page 5, le 7 décembre 1979.
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CHATEAUBRIANT. -- "It makes me angry to see that I'm not taken seriously". Facing skepticism (at least apparent) of the gendarmes and of a part of the population of Sion-les-Mines in connection with the appearance of a UFO with an "abduction" Tuesday evening, Mr. Henri Lucas, craftsman mason, 37 years old, is angry, he is certain to have seen, that evening, at 06:20 p.m., a car surrounded by a red-orange ball, 100 meters in front of him, then a monumental cloud of smoke, then nothing anymore, except for the UFO which haunted ground the area during more than one hour.
All the day of yesterday, national television and the press reported this weird affair, while the "Crossroads of the Extraordinary", between Ruffigné and Sion-The-Mines, became a true place of pilgrimage. One thing is certain: several facts come to consolidate Mr. Lucas' opinion. In addition to the testimony of his three sons, there is the one by the young Lionel Simon who does not have particular relationsship with the Lucas family; as well as new indirect testimonys. There are also the famous traces "of burned grass" atthe crossroads and, in the vicinity, fragments of glass coming from a rectangular headlight (from a Renault or Simca car probably). Whereas the fragments of glass might come from an accident before the appearance of the UFO, on the other hand, the "traces of burns" are not easily explanable.
On length of approximately 14 meters, on the slope skirting the crossroads, in the angle between the road of Sion and the road of Bénestais (the direction from where the "abducted" car is said to have been coming), the grass appears burned, except on a portion of 3 meters. This portion is all the more curious since it is widened towards the top of the slope: like if the shade of the top of the body of a car would have been projected against the slope, at the angle of the slope! In the absence of sun, could it be a UFO? Let's not forget that the UFO was described by the various witnesses as particularly shining.
Even more astonishing phenomenon: the grass which appears burned is in fact only partly burned. Indeed, it is especially the face exposed to the crossroads which is blackened, whereas the grass, these times, is perfectly dry. Moreover, it was noticed that these powdery blackish traces did not have any odor: "It does not smell like burns!", some curious people noted. One can thus think that this apparent "burn" would rather result from a very strong heat which would have impregnated the driest of the grass.
Still about this matter, the fragments of glass on the edge of the road are located in the prolongation of the "non-burned" grass area, and correspond to the direction of driving of the so-called "Simca" as Mr. Lucas saw it.
As of the gendarmerie, the company of Chateaubriant and the brigade of Derval can currently neither deny nor claim the presence of a UFO in the sky of Sion-Les-Mines Tuesday evening. However, Captain Lambert, commander of the company, reported to us yesterday evening the testimony of several people, as well from Chateaubriant as from Sion-les-Mines, claiming to have seen an unusual light in the direction where the events would have occurred. And this, precisely between 06:00 p.m, and 06:30 p.m.. Let's note that currently the sun sets down before this hour.
If these new testimonys would tend to give credence to the statements of Mr. Lucas, his children and Lionel Simon, it is however not possible to talk about an abduction. Officially, no complaint was recorded about that. However, the case continues to be taken very seriously...
Philippe TRUCHON
