The Route 26 Hitchhiker is a local legend from Poland, Maine, about a spectral woman, often described as a murder victim or a prom-goer in distress, who appears to drivers, gives them a prediction, and then vanishes from their vehicle. The most common story depicts her as the ghost of the murdered bride of George Knight, who was killed in 1856 in a farmhouse on Route 11. Another version features a young girl heading to the prom who asks for a ride and disappears before reaching her destination. The hitchhiker is described as a woman in white, sometimes seen in a bride's gown or a prom dress. She will ask for a ride, often to a specific location, and may give a warning or a prophecy to the driver. Before the ride is over or once the driver turns onto a certain road, the woman suddenly disappears from the car. One version identifies her as the ghost of a woman murdered by George Knight in 1856, with her spirit forever wandering the area. Another legend tells of a young girl killed on her way to a prom, who still waits for her ride to the dance. In 2009, a 16-year-old named David reported being stopped by a police officer after picking up the hitchhiker. David, visibly shaken, told the officer that the spectral woman had disappeared from his car, and the incident was reported in the local papers.