An account in Somme, France

On May 13, 1980 at 12:05 AM, two police officers on patrol on the A1 motorway spotted a luminous object above the Roye toll booth (80). Intrigued, they continued to the parking lot of a rest area and then contacted their command post by radio, where another officer confirmed the presence of the object in the sky. One of the witnesses took two photos of the UAP, but developing the film would turn out negative. Getting back in their vehicle heading north, the officers noted that the UAP seemed to follow the car. The observation lasted nearly an hour. This observation case is one of the cases classified as "C" in 1980 by GEPAN. It is currently the subject of a re-examination (see investigation note). This case is consistent (2 main witnesses and 2 other secondary witnesses), and the description of the observation location and the observed UAP is precise. The sincerity and credibility of the witnesses have never been questioned. The described phenomenon presents many common characteristics (observation duration, shape, size, color...) with a known astronomical object: Venus at sunset. Moreover, Venus was indeed present in the area of sky observed, while the witnesses do not mention it. It is not the witnesses' visual perception that is in question, but the interpretation the witnesses make of their observation through their feelings (impression of being followed, night driving). In the current GEIPAN classification, this case of low strangeness is classified as UAP A, an observation linked to a misidentification with Venus.