Munger Road: The legend, the myth, and why people love urban ghost stories
The road is silent, with only the dim glow of the headlights piercing through the darkness. As the car comes to a stop on the railroad tracks, a sudden force pushes it forward: the driver’s heart races. Could it be the spirits of children, as legend suggests? Or is there another explanation for Munger Road’s eerie reputation?
Midnight on Munger Road: A Choose-Your-Fate Story
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Munger Road is a small, infamous road in Wayne, Illinois, well known for its eerie urban legend that centers around a school bus accident: it is said that a bus full of children were stuck on the railroad tracks and hit by an oncoming train. The legend claims that if anyone parks their car on the tracks and puts the vehicle in neutral, the ghosts of the children who died will then push their car to safety to prevent yet another tragedy.
Numerous media posts have discussed this specific road, each offering a different perspective. Some claim to have discovered handprints near the bumpers of their cars, while others maintain that nothing unusual has occurred on the road. Whether these stories are intended to attract attention or not, no one will know if the legend is true unless they experience it for themselves, which this article aims to prevent.
It is strongly advised not to participate in the “challenge” as parking a car on the train tracks can be extremely dangerous and potentially fatal.
According to legend, in order to participate it is said one must drive to Munger Road between midnight and 3 a.m. Once there, the driver is to put the car in neutral on the train tracks and wait for a sign from the spirits of the children. It is believed that the spirits of children who died in that area will push the car forward to protect those in the vehicle from approaching trains. Some people even sprinkle baby powder on their car’s bumper to look for tiny handprints afterward.
”Despite all of the stories and eerie vibes, driving to Munger road at 2 a.m., it was completely uneventful. No mysterious forces moved the car. All that was left was disappointment,” a high school student who participated in the challenge, Savar Grewal, said.
There is no clear beginning to the story. The only plausible lead suggests it has been told over the last couple of centuries. However, without an exact date, it is difficult to determine who started the legend.
Over time, interest in the Munger Road story appeal has waned because of the construction in the area, including paving the once-gravel road, and installing recent buildings that have made the area less intimidating and mysterious.
It is also important to note that the road is now located near an established neighborhood, whereas it used to be quite remote, which makes Munger Road less frightening during the day. However, at night, the surrounding trees still create a darkness that adds to the tense atmosphere.
The famous tale was adapted into a movie directed by Nicholas Smith, which was released in late December 2011. In the film, two police officers travel to Munger Road to search for four missing teenagers and encounter paranormal activities that connect to the so-called “real” incident. It was not until the movie came out that the story gained significant attention thus beginning the YouTube videos and spreading of the stories. This local legend has also been passed down for decades, although there is no exact date for its origins.
As of 2024, the same team and director attempted to create a sequel, but it has been postponed and is still in development. Attempts to contact the director for an update were unsuccessful, so there are no other updates on the matter.
Where does legend end and reality begin? Use this interactive map to explore Munger Road’s most infamous locations and their connection to the ghostly tale.
But now this is where the real question comes to play: is the tale of Munger Road true?
Questions began to arise when historians realized that there is no documented evidence of a bus full of children being killed by a train. It is unclear who originated the legend, preventing researchers from finding out how and when this tragedy even happened.
“Munger Road is part of a different town – not West Chicago – so we don’t respond to that. So, I can’t really say that, yes, there is a confirmed crash. There was a murder there. I believe it was last year or the year before, where someone was shot, and then the body was found in the field just off of Munger,” West Chicago Police Department Officer Mike Levato said.
Despite this, the legend continues to thrive, fueled by stories passed down through generations and social media speculation.
“I don’t know where the rumors came from, but they’ve been there for 30 or 40 years,” Levato said. “I drive Munger Road every single day, and there’s nothing there. No streetlights, just an empty road. Sure, at night, the trees make it dark, but there’s nothing actually scary about it.”
Adding to the skepticism is the famous “ghostly push” challenge, where drivers put their cars in neutral on the train tracks, expecting to feel an invisible force move them forward.
“If you were to park your car on the tracks and put it in neutral, depending on how far along you were on that dip, you might actually be on a slight angle, which would explain why your car starts to roll forward,” Levato said.
Many ghost stories thrive on mystery, but when it comes to Munger Road, is there any factual basis for the legend? To find out, I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the Village of Wayne, asking for any records of accidents, fatalities, or school bus crashes on Munger Road. The request covered police reports, coroner’s records, archived newspaper clippings, and even local government meeting minutes.
The response? No record of a school bus accident ever occurring.
While the FOIA request did confirm some incidents on Munger Road—including reports of disturbances and a past homicide—there is no documented evidence of a tragic school bus crash.
The FOIA documents suggest that people often create stories to have something interesting to talk about, as the Munger Road ghost story is hardly unique. Similar legends have emerged across the country, each sharing eerie parallels. One such tale is the Crybaby Bridge legend, which has multiple versions, including a well-known one from Monmouth, Illinois. While some claim the ghostly cries of a drowned infant can be heard at night, another variation of the legend aligns even more closely with Munger Road.
According to this version, if a driver stops their car on the bridge and shifts into neutral, an unseen force will push them across to safety. Believers claim the spirits of children—possibly the infant’s ghost or other lost souls—are responsible. This eerie tale closely mirrors the Munger Road legend, where ghostly children supposedly push stalled cars off the train tracks to prevent another tragic accident.
Much like Munger Road, there is no documented evidence supporting the existence of this tragic event. Despite this, the tale has persisted for decades, passed down by locals and fueled by word-of-mouth storytelling. In many cases, these urban legends follow familiar patterns—innocent children who suffered untimely deaths and now exist as spirits seeking to interact with the living.
Even more striking is the story of haunted train tracks in San Antonio, Texas, a similar story has circulated about children who died on the train tracks, which nearly mirrors the Munger Road legend. There, locals believe that the ghosts of children who died in a bus accident will push a stalled car off the tracks to prevent another tragedy. Just like with Munger Road, there is no official record of the accident ever happening.
Interestingly, this Texas legend can be traced back to a documented accident in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1938, where a school bus was struck by a train, resulting in the tragic loss of 26 students and the driver. It’s plausible that the San Antonio narrative emerged as a form of communal coping, which then inspired similar stories in other locales, including Munger Road.
These situations and others raise significant concerns: it seems improbable that the same accident, more or less, would occur in different locations featuring ghost children behaving in the same way.
Ghost stories are well-known for their fleeting nature, and there are so many of them that accurately estimating their total number is nearly impossible. Many ghost stories share similar themes and tropes; often, they originate from other tales with only minor modifications to set them apart. As a result, this makes nearly every ghost story questionable, providing a solid basis for debunking any claims of hauntings or ghostly encounters.
Now with all said and done, why does this even matter?
Munger Road is not the only ghostly legend of its kind. Across the country, similar tales have spread—each one playing on humans’ – or perhaps children’s – deepest fears. But why do these stories persist even when the facts do not add up?
“People want to make sense of a chaotic world,” psychologist Karen Szot said. “If I offer you a theory—an urban legend—that gives you an answer, it meets that need. It makes the unknown seem a little less uncertain.”
Beyond this, Szot suggests that believing in legends provides a sense of social belonging.
“There’s a thrill in feeling like you know something others don’t. It’s like being in an exclusive club—‘I’ve been there, I’ve seen it, I know the story,’” Szot said. “Even when people know the facts, they still want to believe the legend because it makes them feel special.”
In fact, Szot recalls hearing about Munger Road back when she was in high school.
“We did that in high school too,” she said. “It was dark, there were no lights, and I sort of wanted something to happen just so I could talk about it. Even when nothing did, I still wanted to believe.”
The most likely reason for the question is the thrill of the unknown. It is always exciting to entertain the idea that animals, creatures, or ghosts exist, as it adds an element of mystery to the world suggesting that there are still many secrets yet to be uncovered by humanity. While the thrill of the unknown is quite powerful, there are many other reasons why people want urban legends to exist, even if they are untrue.
There are popular urban legends intended to deter children from misbehaving, For example, there is Krampus, who comes every Christmas to take away the naughty children and make them work. Then there is La Llorona, a woman who will drown a child who comes too close to the lake, in order to prevent kids from going there at night., among many others.
Many conspiracy theorists also try to convince people that the government is hiding information about creatures and other mysterious topics. While not all of them focus on these ideas, many share such claims on TikTok and other social media platforms. They discuss these so-called mysteries as a way to engage and excite themselves and their audiences. Some people simply believe what they hear is true, even when it is fake news.
People may not realize that urban legends can serve as a source of emotional gratification. These legends often stem from common fears, anxieties, and biases related to various topics or society as a whole. While there isn’t a precise estimate of how many people find gratification in urban legends, it’s suggested that this behavior is often subconscious and not openly acknowledged. Nevertheless, a significant portion of the population does turn to urban legends for stress relief and similar emotional benefits.
Another reason one might be drawn to urban legends is because they foster social connections. Sharing a common experience with someone who knows the same story can strengthen bonds, even if it happens unconsciously. Exchanging scary or intriguing tales with friends or loved ones can create a fun and engaging conversation, allowing people to connect and pass down stories whenever the moment feels appropriate.
Urban legends are closely tied to cultural aspects. For example, in Native American culture, there are beliefs in spiritual figures and myths that are deeply rooted in their traditions. As a result, these urban legends are preserved within their culture, allowing them to thrive and spread further than other stories that lack a specific cultural group to sustain them.
In the end, there are many reasons for the existence of urban legends and horror stories. Some people have mixed feelings about whether they believe these tales, while others find them interesting and discuss them out of boredom. There are countless popular urban legends, and no definitive answers exist; instead, these stories are shrouded in mystery and offer various opinions that can lead to different interpretations of the truth. Each story presents something unique, serving to entertain, engage, and connect with people in different ways. Ultimately, urban legends serve a significant purpose in our lives.
Urban legends like Munger Road persist not because they are true, but because they are fun to believe. They offer mystery, excitement, and a shared cultural experience. Even when the facts do not support the myth, people still tell the story – because sometimes, the story itself is more powerful than the truth.
So, the next time a chilling tale spreads, consider asking: what is the real story behind the legend?
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