The residents of Washington Irving’s Sleepy Hollow had their Albany Post Road, which the Headless Horseman rode upon. Jacksonville has Greenbriar Road.
Greenbriar Road runs from Mandarin toward Fruit Cove and Switzerland.
It was a dirt road for many years, sand actually.
The road wasn’t much more than a path through a thick forest of trees, a forest that had many stories to tell.
One such story was about Greenbriar Road and it’s unofficial name, Ghost Light Road.
Ghost Light Road was where the Headless Motorcyclist rode. No one actually saw a headless rider, or if they did, they didn’t live to tell their tale.
Just kidding. Unlike Irving’s Horseman, Jax’s Motorcyclist was not riding to do harm, rather to help.
At least that is what some believe, that it is the spirit of a motorcyclist who died in the area, and he is making sure drivers got home safely.
As mentioned above, none saw an actual rider, rather a bright orb of light that came up quickly behind those who drove a certain stretch of the road, and once they had passed safely, the light, which many believed was a motorcycle headlight, disappeared.
Not much is known about the rider. Some stories tell of an accident that happened in the 1940’s, others in the 1950’s, or 1960’s. There are stories that he was killed by a prank that went horribly wrong, or that he was run off the road.
The most widely accepted story is that a young man, 18 or 19 years of age was speeding down the road on his motorcycle. He hit a rough spot in the road, lost control, crashed, and was decapitated by the tension cable support of a utility pole.
The spot where he was killed is, as the story goes, where the light appears, guiding people safely past the danger.
Of course when you are driving down a dark isolated road and a light suddenly appears out of thin air you might not be as comforted as the rider would have you feel.
Ghost Light Road has been a popular road trip for local youth from the 1970’s until the new millennium. As late as 2012 it was still stirring young hearts and minds with a local Indie band taking it as their name.
Skeptics came up with the usual to debunk the story; must be swamp gas, an optical illusion of sorts, drunk teenagers, or some other rational explanation. There could be many many explanations that did not include a benevolent spirit.
There are stories of scientists and various paranormal researches. There are claims that the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office conducted an extensive investigation(s).
“The most plausible explanation” was that the Ghost Light came through the trees from the headlights of cars westbound on County Road 210, two headlights becoming one as they made the curve, and then disappearing altogether.
The road was paved. The curve and the intersection were reconfigured. There were fewer and fewer sightings of the Ghost Light. There are those who believe there never was a Ghost Light, just two roads passing in the night.
Then there are those who believe the rider still rides. He may be needed less than he once was, but if you are traveling on Ghost Light Road and danger is near, his light will shine, and guide you safely home.
This story is shared here as a legend, a traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but unauthenticated.
Photograph provided courtesy of Ghost Light Road band.
Portions of this article were originally published in the Riverside Review, October 1987 and on examiner.com, October 2012
