Great Falls, South Carolina, is a small community in Chester County. Recently, a new whitewater park opened along the banks of the Catawba River at the base of the Nitrolee Dam. At one time, Great Falls was a thriving textile town that provided locals and others from nearby areas with employment opportunities. For some mill workers, this meant crossing the bridge from Lancaster into Great Falls. Unfortunately, many accidents occurred along this stretch of road.
One story dates back to the 1950s, when a local mill employee at Republic Mill Number Two left work after her shift, en route back to her home. A little after midnight, she became sleepy, and her car crossed the center line, hitting a logging truck head-on. The blunt force was so severe that it knocked the car over the guardrail into the river below, killing the young woman instantly. Several months after the accident, a woman fitting the description of the deceased started flagging down trucks that were crossing the bridge. The truck drivers reported that she would run out in front of them on the narrow two-lane bridge when it was raining or foggy. She would appear out of nowhere when their truck lights hit the bridge.
The best time to see the Nitrolee Dam Hitchhiker is on rainy and foggy nights.
Some believe her spirit still lives on in the afterlife on the new bridge.
Written By: John G Clark Jr
