Near Beaufort, FR being encounter — October 16, 1954

Mr. and Mrs. Mozin reported an unusual roadside object while returning toward Maubeuge on the RN 2 near Beaufort in 1954. The Atlas assigns October 16 at 11:40 p.m.; fuller accounts say around midnight, and several publications instead give November. This dating disagreement should not be concealed by the precision of a catalogue timestamp. The couple first thought distant lights marked a road accident. Closer, they described a whitish metallic object shaped like a broad shell, resting on three short supports beside the road. Through an open doorway they saw a squat figure in a thick, ridged suit, heavy boots and an oversized helmet. Its appearance prompted a Michelin-man comparison. Cables or conduits were allegedly visible behind it. The car’s headlights went out on approach while the engine continued running; they returned after the car passed. The couple did not stop beside the object. Mozin later reported ground impressions and a small scorched patch, without an independently verified analysis establishing their source. Jean-Marie Bigorne investigated and reinterviewed him years later. Barthel and Brucker dismissed the case after consulting a journalist; Bigorne disputed both their identification of the contact and their conclusion. That historical disagreement is not a proven confession of a hoax. The plate retains the suited figure at the doorway and avoids turning the observation into an established exit or a total vehicle failure.