On August 27, 1979, deputy sheriff Val Johnson experienced a "close encounter" in rural Marshall County. His vehicle—mysteriously damaged in the incident—is preserved by the Marshall County Historical Society. KSTP-TV ran this news segment and interview with Johnson on Channel Five Eyewitness News in 1979.

August 27, 1979, Deputy Sheriff Val Johnson was on a regular night patrol in Marshall County when a light came at him. Britt Aamodt gives the details of the Val Johnson UFO case.

Diagram showing the path of Val Johnson’s car on the night of August 27, 1979, and its estimated point of collision with an unknown object or force on State Highway 220 in Marshall County.

Bent antenna on top of the 1977 Ford LTD driven by Marshall County Deputy Sheriff Val Johnson during the Val Johnson incident (August 27, 1979). Undated.

The cracked windshield of the 1977 Ford LTD driven by Marshall County Deputy Sheriff Val Johnson during the Val Johnson incident (August 27, 1979). Undated.

The 1977 Ford LTD driven by Marshall County Deputy Sheriff Val Johnson during the Val Johnson incident (August 27, 1979). Undated. Created by, and used with the permission of, the Marshall County Historical Society.

South-facing view of Minnesota State Highway 220 at its junction with County Road 5. It was at this location on August 27, 1979, that Val Johnson saw a light above the road at the treeline and turned left, leading to a collision with an unidentified force or object. Ufology Research of Manitoba (UFOROM).

Val Johnson at the scene of his collision on County Road 5 in Marshall County on August 27, 1979. Photographed in late August or early September 1979. Ufology Research of Manitoba (UFOROM).

In this segment of MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds, Britt Aamodt looks at Frederick McKinley Jones, the inventor of the refrigerated truck.