I-485 driver stopped for a red light, then a gunman in a truck pulled up, police say

A driver on Interstate 485 was waiting for a red light to change early Saturday when a pickup truck pulled up from behind and a gunman left the passenger side, police said.

The assailant pointed a gun at the victim and ordered him to leave his SUV, Matthews police said in a news release.

The victim obeyed, police said, and the gunman got into the driver’s seat of the victim’s brown 2005 Jeep Liberty and drove off, police said. The victim later flagged down a patrol officer who happened to be passing by.

The carjacking occurred at about 3:30 a.m. at the light from the exit ramp of the I-485 Outer Loop to East John Street, police said.

The make and the model of the white pickup truck are unknown, police said.

The gunman drove the SUV through the light, across East John Street and back onto the I-485 Outer Loop, with the pickup truck driver following him, police said.

The carjacked SUV has a North Carolina registration plate number of PKJ-2427, police said.

Anyone with information about the carjacking should call 911.

This story was originally published May 4, 2019 at 4:50 PM.