Commuters cruising along the George Washington Bridge on Tuesday morning encountered an eerie cloud which suddenly emerged, briefly enveloped traffic, and then dissipated into the air.

The mysterious mist was captured on video via a traffic camera and the footage spread quickly online as viewers were left wondering what its source may have been.

Aside from the usual paranormal explanations such as a ghostly presence or alien activity, more skeptical observers have offered some more prosaic possibilities.

The prevalent theory is that the cloud was somehow formed by a fuel spill which occurred nearby on the other side of the bridge.

However auto aficionados who have seen the video say that the event was simply vapor from a blown gasket on one of the cars driving along the bridge.

Hopefully that explanation will bring some relief to the drivers who found themselves passing through the mist and were left wondering what exactly they had just experienced.

Source: NBC New York