If you get into a fender bender, you need to go against your instincts in order to potentially save your life.
When you get into any kind of car accident, one of the first things you do after making sure you’re OK is usually to get out of the vehicle, inspect for damage, and then talk to the other driver involved.
You often exchange insurance information right away and call the police to make an official report or get additional help.
But this former cop said this isn’t the right way to go about it.
How to properly handle a fender bender
In a viral video with more than 630,000 views, former police officer Jahunta Jahu said there’s something you need to know if you’re on the road, especially if you’re a woman.
“Do not, if somebody bumps you from the rear, do not get out of your vehicle and go back and look at the damage,” Jahu said. “Because at that point, you’ve left the shelter of your vehicle, and you have put yourself in harm’s way.”
Jahu explained that some criminals intentionally hit people’s vehicles from behind to create a situation in which they can rob, abduct, or sexually assault them.
Here’s what you should do if you end up in this situation, according to Jahu:
- If you have a weapon on you, be it a concealed carry gun or mace, immediately roll down your window and expect a person to be approaching you from behind.
- Tell the person not to approach you, and make sure you’re prepared with your weapon “to defend yourself if necessary.”
- Tell them you’ve contacted the police and that they are on the way. (Let them know this even if you haven’t called them yet.)
- Immediately place the 911 call and tell the operator that you were in a fender bender but that it looks like the driver may be attempting to do something else to you. If the person is belligerent or hostile in any way, let the police know that as well.
Is this a real issue?
Unfortunately, yes.
There are a series of news articles—from Washington to Philadelphia to Toronto—and even a Netflix docu-series about people being kidnapped or otherwise hurt or taken advantage of at the hands of the person who caused their fender bender.
Some of these stories date back more than two decades ago, showing that this is, sadly, a tried-and-true tactic.
One of the most recent reported cases was last year in Mississauga, Canada. Two men intentionally rear-ended a person. When the victim got out of their car to exchange insurance information (as one does in this situation), one of the men, according to police, pulled out a firearm and forced the accident (and now kidnapping) victim into their car, Insauga News reported.
Police say the victim was taken to a warehouse, where he was assaulted before escaping and making his way to a local police station. He was then reportedly taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Commenters react
“Happened to me in Ohio. In a rental and with friend. Looked in rear view mirror and a car full of guys waiting for us to get out and inspect. I said ‘nope. seen this episode of First 48’ took off,” a top comment read.
“This happened to my daughter in Houston leaving UofH. Bumped at a light she looked in the rear view and saw a guy bandana on his head staring straight ahead at her. She ran the light and took off,” a person shared.
“As a mother to a 24 yr old daughter…new fear unlocked,” another wrote.
@the_black_prophet ♬ original sound – Jahunta Jahu
The Daily Dot reached out to Jahu for comment via TikTok direct message and comment.
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