RENTON, Wash. — Police departments in Seattle and Renton are warning drivers of a trend where staged vehicle accidents are used to carjack victims.
Renton police say there has been an increase in staged vehicle accidents where the at-fault driver then goes on to carjack the victims.
"We see this kind of thing periodically, once every year or two we'll have a similar occurrence there where there's some kind of ruse to get somebody to stop and then they're robbed at gunpoint," said Renton Police Detective Robert Onishi.
On Sept. 8 at around 9:42 p.m., a driver was exiting the Renton Walmart parking lot onto Rainier Avenue South when he was struck from behind by a vehicle. When the driver turned around to check on two juveniles who were riding in the backseat, he saw three people exit the car that rear-ended him and approach his car, according to the Renton Police Department (RPD.)
One suspect opened the back door of the victim's car and sat down, pointing a gun at the juveniles in the back seat. Another suspect approached the driver and pointed a gun at him while ordering him to get out of the car, while another suspect got into the passenger side. The victim and the juveniles exited the vehicle and the suspects immediately fled the scene.
"State law is after a collision you need to exchange information with the driver of the other vehicle involved, nobody however says that has to be done in an unsafe place," Detective Onishi said. "If you're in a collision with somebody and it's not in a good place, if it's dark or suspicious or just doesn't feel right, you can fulfill that obligation by maybe driving to a brighter place, maybe better populated, maybe the police station, call 911 and say I was just in this collision but I'm nervous because of this circumstance."
The Seattle Police Department shared a blotter post on Tuesday about two similar incidents in the Rainier Valley neighborhood. In both, a car was rear-ended and when the victims got out of their vehicle to speak with the other driver, other people got out of the car and stole the victims' vehicle at gunpoint.
"In terms of whether it's the same suspects, that's not determined as of yet," Seattle Police Department Public Information Officer Judinna Gulpan said. "But in terms of how the incident's occurring, we're seeing it is a rear end collision and when the victims exit their car to exchange information, that's when the carjacking is occurring."
A similar incident took place in Maple Valley in late August. A woman reported that she had been rear-ended, then a person got out of the vehicle and approached her with a gun. In all, five suspects exited the vehicle, carjacked the woman's car and fled the scene in both cars. The suspects led police on a car chase that resulted in a deadly crash. The driver of the car was killed and two passengers were injured when they struck a tree.
Renton police offered these tips to drivers:
- Pay attention to your surroundings at all times
- If you are leaving a parking lot, drive a lap or two around the lot to see if anyone may be following your movements. If you feel like you're being followed drive to a police station that is open 24/7, an emergency room or another high-traffic location
- If you are hesitant to exit your vehicle after a collision, drive to a safe location while calling 911 and let dispatch know why you left the scene and where officers can meet you
- If you are caught in a similar incident, try and memorize as much as you can about the involved vehicle, suspects, license plate and which direction the suspects fled in
- Keep your personal belongings near you instead of in the back seat
- Leave an Apple Air Tag or another tracking device in your car
Detective Onishi says if someone armed threatens you at gunpoint, to hand over the vehicle.
"If it comes down to: I'm at gunpoint, someone's demanding your vehicle here - your vehicle's not worth your life," Onishi said.
For more tips, visit the Renton Police Department's Facebook page.