Said by some to be the most haunted place in Ohio, Dead Mans Curve does seem to have a dark history. This allegedly haunted stretch of road is between Amelia and Bethel in the village of Bantam in Clermont County, where Route 222 meets route 125. Urban Legend says that this stretch of road is haunted by a faceless hitchhiker. He is said to roam this area late at night, usually between 1:20 and 1:40 AM, hitching a ride, sometimes appearing in the middle of the road where unsuspecting drivers hit him, only to jump and chase your car afterwards. People report seeing this strange man on the side of the road, others tell of their car being pelted with rocks from someone unseen. Those who have gotten close enough to him to get a good look all report the same thing, theres no sign of a face at all, just blackness!
The road itself does have a reputation for being dangerous. After all, it’s not called Dead Man’s Curve for nothing. However, oddly, theres not even much of a curve at Dead Man’s Curve, at least not anymore. That stretch of road was originally part of the Ohio Turnpike, built in 1831. The original road was designed in a way that it curved sharply at the top of a hill, causing many horses and carriages to slip or roll over and down the hillside,in turn, causing many deaths. It was a two lane highway until 1968 when it was straightened and widened to four lanes. There was said to have been a celebratory ribbon cutting commemorating the end of Dead Man’s Curve. However, this turned out to be a bit premature.
A month later, there was a huge accident at the intersection. An Impala with 5 teenagers inside was hit by a green Roadrunner, said to have been traveling at 100 mph. Only one person survived the wreck .By most accounts, it was after this accident that the faceless hitchhiker started to appear. There have also been reports of a green roadrunner chasing drivers down this stretch of road from time to time since then. Since that accident, it’s said that over 70 people have been killed at that intersection. We haven’t verified this number yet, but we do know there have been numerous accidents there. Considering the road is pretty much a flat, straight run, this fact does seem a bit weird. I’m not sure why the time from 1:20 to 1:40 is when ole’ faceless likes to cause trouble, but I guess it might have something to do with the time of the accident.
I asked the Ohio state patrol about this, and what they say doesn’t exactly match up to what urban legend says (go figure). Here’s their response to my question (from late 2009).
The SR 222/Bantam Rd intersection is located at the 10.35 milepost of SR 125. There have been 25 reported crashes reported on SR 125 between mileposts 10 & 11 since the begining of 2008. Eighteen (18) in 2008 and seven (7) thus far in 2009. The only incident, during that time period between 1:20 & 1:40 AM, occured on 10/18/2008. the sheriff investigated (report 08-10-27) a vehicle striking a deer.
So if you decide to go looking for the faceless hitchhiker, be careful and drive safe, but looks like you should be o.k. Maybe, just maybe, somebody should just pick the guy up and give him a lift, how long are we gonna make him wait out there? Sheesh!
Directions
Dead Mans Curve is located east of Cincinnati in Clermont County. Take I-471 South to I-275 East. Take the 125 exit, and follow it until it intersects at 222 & Bantam.
Creepy Cincinnati 
I live right by there..
This is creepy, I actually was there the other day and I had no clue about this story, I’ve never heard of it. Well it was around 1:25, I’m guessing. Well i saw this man standing on the side of the road, with his back to me and i thought it was nothing so i kept driving on, and I think i heard someone running behind me, i look in the back mirror and I see the same guy running after me, but I found no face….I creeped out, OMG i was about to call 911, and i had taken my phone out and I looked in the mirror and saw no one. I will never go on that read again, i just thought i search it up for future refrence…
I think you made that up..yea right a faceless man…hahaha
Not faceless. Ask any man/ woman who drove past him without as much as a smile. Instead of watching the road they stare at him. He throws the rocks to keep your attention as long as possible. As I said not faceless (no one looks him in the face.) Heartless, maybe lonesome more likely. Either way, you are dead. Now your out there throwing rocks.
i’ve driven that stretch of road hundreds of times and probably during that time frame but have never seen anything. I’ve heard that the stretch of road is supposedly haunted. I dispatched for Clermont Cty for almost 2 yrs and we never received any calls of this nature. BUT, there are a lot of crashes at the 222-north which intersects with s.r. 125 by Phantom Fireworks which is maybe 1/2 mile from the mentioned intersection and there are a lot more crashes there. It is strange though because it is a flat and relatively straight stretch of road…but, what you have to remember is that the speed limit is 55mph and only a double yellow line (for most of the road) divides cars passing in opposite directions so the probability of crashes will inevitibly be high.
I have lived down the street from there for well over 30 years and have never seen the guy. I still go by there everyday at all hours of the night. I also never heard anything about this article until a few years ago.
I have never seen anything and have driven that road all hours! I worked doing construction until late at night and nothing. I will be sure not to drive at that time of night, This is crazy!
In the parlance of our times, this is horseshit, I drove that area all times of day and night for nearly 30 years. Never saw squat.
Dead mans curve has been popular the last two days…was there something online or on the news about it recently?
I THINK ITS BULLSHIT TOO…USED TO GO THE ROUTE A LOT..THERES NO SUCH THING AS A FACELESS MAN…
Im 48and growed up around the area I have alwats heard that story. I actually went out one night not thinking about it and thats when there wasnt a light there but I turned left off 222 and a car aooeared behind ne outa nowhere it came right to my bumper when I sped up it also did I got scared n hit the gas and my car spun around leaving me facing the opposite direction wgen I came to a stop there was no car in sight so maybe it is true I was in fact very frightened
[…] GHOST OF CINCY […]
OMG this seriously just brought tears to my eyes because when I was a teenager I saw a “man” appear and reappear throughout my Mom’s and my trip home one night. We lived in Saltair on 222, and his first appearance that night was on 125 just before we turned onto 222 and I saw him over and over on the side of the road until we came to Nicholsville. I didn’t tell Mom at first because I thought I was just seeing things! “He” had on a black trench coat and I couldn’t see his face. When we got to the store, I saw him ahead standing across from the gas station and he was pointing toward Bethel-New Richmond (the Bethel side) and I told Mom to turn there to go home instead of going 222, and after we turned I told her what I had seen. I haven’t shared that with many people so reading this has freaked the crap out of me!!!!!
Cool story!
What an amazing story! I produce a podcast called Ohio Folklore and am in the process of writing an episode on the topic. I’d love a chance to ask you some more questions about what you experienced. If you have any interest, please email me at melissa@ohiofolklore.com.
Thanks!
Do we ever really see what we aren’t looking for?
Something that hasn’t been talked about is the fact this is not the original intersection. The intersection used to come out further down the road. When heading toward bethel if you look off to the right you can see a few hundred yards before the new intersection where it used to come out to ohio pike.
[…] 4. Clermont County Dead Mans Curve – This is another haunting we’ve checked out several times, but never with any results. A lot of people have reported seeing the faceless Hitchhiker along this stretch of road, but I haven’t heard of anyone offering to pick him up. Poor guy. Read about him Here. […]
My ex-husband (passed 07-2012) said his older brother was one of the drivers. Not sure which vehicle, I think the Roadrunner. (but I’mnot sure) He was about 16-17 when it happened, Jack told me they were said to be racing, either an old Nova or an old Galaxy/Fairlaneld 500. Not long after the loss of his brother, the police or maybe sherriff found my ex as a teen very drunk passed out in a car. They took him home, no arrest ! ( of course this was in ’75-’78ish…We separated in 2009. If I get the chance to ever speak to his younger brother, ( by 1 yr), I will ask…
If you really want to check into this story go to the Clermont County Library in Batavia ask to look at their old Clermont County Newspapers there you will find the story about the wreck that happened in Oct. 19, 1969 so the wreck is true but me myself have never seen the hitchhiker and pray I don’t, but there was really a wreck there. And the intersection is VERY DARK and SCARY has been to me since before I ever knew about this story.
I believe Dead Man’s Curve was when the road dipped way down over Back Run Creek, it climbed up and had a sharp turn at the top of the hill. It’s filled in now and Foozer Rd was moved to the other side of the creek. Closer to where the curve was.
I lived in that area my whole childhood. I remember sneaking out at night with friends and walking that section of road to get to friends houses. I have never seen anything. I have never seen anything as an adult driving that road either. Guess im lucky.
I have lived in Bethel for over 30 Years. Yes, that is a bad road. There isn’t a road in this area that someone I know has been killed on. I am not saying it’s not true. I have NEVER seen this faceless man. But, I know there is some strange stories that are true! I have ALWAYS wondered that myself how so many people crash on a straight road????
I don’t think anyone today would see him because they’re busy looking at their phone. If there is an increase is fatalities after this article, it will be because ppl are reading this article driving this stretch of road.
Yes, iv’e been coming up this highway sence i was a little boy,i very much remember
DEAD MANS CURVE on s.r.125,when it was a 2 lane road, my moma and step father would say were coming up on DEAD MANS CURVE!! I would get up to the window and look out and yes it was a bad place.there use to be a 2 or 3 storie big house down over the hill going east bound i also remember,it was vacant for many years then torn down, i would think maybe that the hitch hiker may have lived in that house
for i know it occupied lots of people back when i remember around 1967and on til it was abanded then torn down
Paul barger
I remember the same thing being said to us as kids!
I remember driving on that road many years ago before they widened it and straightened out the curve! It was somewhat scary to drive, especially in the winter time!
I live very close to this intersection and have been driving it late at night years before I moved here. I have never seen the faceless hitchhiker, but just because I haven’t seen it doesn’t make it less real.
There are many accidents and people barrel right through red lights there. Just earlier this week my husband’s car was nearly hit. Pretty strange for a flat, straight intersection.
It does get very, very dark at night and at the times mentioned, traffic is nearly non existent. I worked late nights and even staked out the intersection with my friends a few times, but we never saw anything. I do know of at least one person who refuses to come down this way at night.
I can’t really say if it is or isn’t haunted, but it definitely has a creepy vibe. I’ve had a few unexplainable things happen in my home and wondered if it was tied to the many, many deaths down the street.
Grew up in Amelia in1960’s and as the story goes, there was a serious wreck in the 60’s where a man wrecked on Dead Man’s Curve. His head was severed, and when police arrived, they witnessed a dog carrying off the head of the headless body, never to be found….it’s been told, if you go late at night, at the bottom of Dead Man’s Curve….you’ll see a dog carrying a severed head in it’s mouth. True Story from Amelia, Ohio
The “Dead man’s curve” as I remember was where St. Route 222 north is now beside Fantom fireworks. The hill and curve you are describing was “Rapp’s ” corner named after the old motel at the bottom of the hill.
Umm not sure where this crap comes from but I have lived here my whole life I know that streach of road very well and that story is bull crap, also dead man’s curve is no where near that piece of road it is actually on Columbia park way, wow the story’s lol
I grew up in the 1950-60’s in Bethel, and yes, there was a Deadman’s Curve. Remember being in the car and hearing my Dad talk about it. Also my Uncles talked about it. It was down over the bank where 125 is built up right before the intersection of St Rt 125 and St Rt 222. It always scared me going down through that hill.
I grew up in Nicholsville on SR222 in the 1950s, when SR125 was two-lane. The location of Dead Man’s Curve was in the area just west of Foozer Road, not Bantam. At the time, there was a restaurant called the DX Ranch near the location.
I’ve lived near Amelia my whole life, never seen the guy. I first heard this story as a kid in the Most haunted places of Ohio. The guy who survived supposedly had more than one encounter ( even had one near the Montgomery road exit on 275) A psychic was supposedly dropped off there too and she ran in 5 minutes, the curious thing is she knew nothing of the back story so that has the ring of truth.
How do you hear some one running while your in a car. Please indulge us
Hello everyone. I produce a podcast called Ohio Folklore and am in the process of writing an episode on this legend. I’d like to talk with people who’ve had their own first hand experiences. If you’re one of those people, please send me an email at melissa@ohiofolklore.com
Thanks!
[…] “Dead man’s curve” is a ubiquitous name for a dangerously sharp turn, but this sharp curve in Clermont County appears to be haunted by an actual dead man. […]
[…] “Dead man’s curve” is a ubiquitous name for a dangerously sharp turn, but this sharp curve in Clermont County appears to be haunted by an actual dead man. […]
[…] “Dead man’s curve” is a ubiquitous name for a dangerously sharp turn, but this sharp curve in Clermont County appears to be haunted by an actual dead man. […]
[…] “Dead man’s curve” is a ubiquitous name for a dangerously sharp turn, but this sharp curve in Clermont County appears to be haunted by an actual dead man. […]
[…] “Dead man’s curve” is a ubiquitous name for a dangerously sharp turn, but this sharp curve in Clermont County appears to be haunted by an actual dead man. […]
[…] At the intersection of Route 222 and Route 125, a faceless hitchiker who died in a crash at the scene in the 1960s is said to appear the road in the early hours of the morning. […]
[…] Dead Mans Curve (Ohio)Dead Mans Curve is said to be the most haunted place in Ohio. A faceless hitchhiker roams the area where route 222 meets route 125, usually in the 20-minute window between 1:20 and 1:40 AM. He appears in many different ways, attempting to hitch a ride, throwing rocks at from the side of the road, or even standing in the middle of the road and running to chase cars after being hit. Even though he appears in different forms, everyone who comes in contact finds one thing in common; he has no face! Everyone who gets a good look at him only sees blackness where his face would be. […]