HAPEVILLE, Ga. — In a town defined by railroad tracks, one Hapeville woman's life got off track. While she was waiting outside the Skyline Laundromat and Shell gas station on North Central Avenue Monday, surveillance video from the businesses showed a man walking up to her SUV, hopping in and driving away.
11Alive spoke with the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous out of fear for her safety.
"The guy jumped in the car and I just looked at him thinking it was my friend jumping in," she said. "By the time I tried to open the door to get out, he pulled me back in. Then it was like he mushed my face, my whole side is messed up. It just hurts."
The woman said she managed to jump out of the car after about a quarter mile. She said she screamed for help and had a friend call 911. The pain and the shock are still lingering after she lost not just her car but her livelihood as well.
"I just got the car," she said. "The car was going to get me another spot because right now, I'm homeless. All my stuff was in that car. I just went grocery shopping. I’m painful in my knees, all in my side. I feel sharp pains in my heart. I don’t know what’s going on with me right now, but I just want to take it easy and relax because this is a lot on me.”
In the wake of the incident, Hapeville Police Detective Michael Walsh urged people to be aware of their surroundings, especially in public places.
"Anything can happen while a vehicle is running at a gas station or public place, maybe a crime of opportunity or someone looking for that particular vehicle," Walsh said. "Just make sure the vehicle is off, keys are out and doors are locked when you're at a location."
Walsh said investigators are still looking for the carjacker and the vehicle, a silver 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV. He said he did not believe the suspect was armed but did consider him dangerous.
“We are going to be pursuing charges for kidnapping and motor vehicle hijacking," Walsh said. "It's not a matter of if; it's when we find the person that did that."
The victim is just waiting for justice to roll down the tracks, grateful for her life while wondering what steps she should take next.
"It's sad; I could have died," the woman said. "I wouldn't think this would happen. I really don't know how you got away, but I'm praying you get caught because you've got to get off the streets."
Anyone with information on the case should call Hapeville Police. They can remain anonymous.