Cows, Mattresses, and Clowns: Some of the Weirdest Stuff Ever Seen on I-84

I’ve spent a lot of time on I-84 over the years—probably more than I’ve spent in line at the DMV or yelling at my TV during a Giants game. And in all that time, I’ve come to realize something: this highway actually has a personality. A weird one. The kind of personality that makes you do a double take and say, “Wait, was that a cow?”

I’m not kidding. From Danbury to Hartford, I-84 has earned its reputation as Connecticut’s most unpredictable stretch of road. It’s not just potholes and brake lights—though we’ve got plenty of those. It’s the moments that leave you saying, “What the heck did I just witness?”

We’re talking mattresses flying through the air along with a clown sighting that had drivers checking their rearview mirrors twice. Remember the clown sightings that came out of nowhere in 2016? These stories aren’t urban legends. They happened. Right here, on the same highway you took to get to work this morning.

So in the spirit of the strange, I thought I’d round up some of the wildest, weirdest things drivers have reported seeing on I-84 and a few other Connecticut roadways. If you’ve got your own highway horror story, share it in the comments—we’ve all been there, especially in Connecticut.

🐄 1. Cattle Commotion on I-84 (Newtown & Vernon)...

In October 2022, Yahoo News and the State Department of Agriculture reported that 14 cows died after a trailer rolled over on Interstate 84 in Connecticut, shutting down westbound traffic for hours. A month before, Vernon commuters were stunned when several cows broke loose and took a leisurely stroll down the highway. One motorist posted on Facebook, “Only in Connecticut do you call your boss and say you’re late because of cattle congestion.”

2. Pipes Fly Off Semi Truck on Highway in Stonington...

According to FOX61, in June 2010, a State Trooper and a truck driver narrowly avoided being crushed after ginormous pipes flew off a truck bed. Each pipe weighed 1,500 pounds! While the trooper was stopped at a crash on I-95 in Stonington, an oncoming truck slammed on its brakes. The truck was carrying nearly two dozen 43-foot steel pipes used for gas lines.

3. The Flying Mattress Incident...

According to patch.com, one fine May day in 2024, a full-size mattress achieved liftoff on I-84 in Union—literally flew off the top of a vehicle and landed like a fluffy death trap in the middle of the highway. A crash was reported (no serious injuries), and the mattress was eventually hauled away. CT State Police reminded folks that “just because it’s soft doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

4. Clown Sightings on I-84 (2016 Clown Craze)...

You may remember the nationwide creepy clown hysteria. According to ct.gov, it had gotten so out of hand that folks in Enfield and Fairfield called 911 after spotting a person in full clown regalia… just standing on the side of I-84. No juggling, no balloons—just menacing eye contact at 11 p.m. While police never found the individual, dozens of drivers confirmed the sighting.

5. Connecticut's $13 Million 'Highway to Nowhere.'..

In 1953, Route 11 was first mapped out to connect Colchester to Waterford, Connecticut, running northeast to southeast. Construction began in 1963, and the proposed completion date was 1969.

Route 11 officially opened in 1972, but the highway wasn't finished. On October 24, 1972, ConnDot suspended further construction due to a lack of funds. According to Wikipedia.org, on October 19, 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency settled the fate of the Route 11 extension, stating that "the prohibitive cost and lack of funding for the extension, and the discovery of Native American and colonial-era archaeological sites along the route" is the final nail in the coffin for the $13 million 'Highway to Nowhere.'