‘Strange smell’ in car leads woman to realize a stranger is in back seat, NC cops say

An unfamiliar odor in a woman’s car led to the discovery of “some random dude” asleep in the back seat, according to police in North Carolina.

It happened in Asheboro, about a 70-mile drive west from Raleigh, and the encounter startled both parties, the Asheboro Police Department said in a March 10 Facebook post.

“Recently, a woman reported driving to work early in the morning and noticed a strange smell. ... She looked in the rear seat and noticed a stranger sleeping,” police said.

“The woman did the right thing by quickly stopping, getting out, and distancing herself from the vehicle while dialing 911.”

Her abrupt stop awoke the man, who jumped out and ran “in the opposite direction.” He left stuff behind in his haste, including a blanket, a photo shows.

“The woman was startled but unharmed,” police said. Her identity was not released.

Investigators suspect the man was looking for a place to sleep for the night and took advantage of finding an unlocked vehicle.

“Some random dude asleep in your car? Just another reason to lock your vehicle’s doors!” police wrote in the post.