You've woken up in a confined, dark
and tiny space.
You can’t see a thing,
and it’s hard to breathe.
The last thing you remember
was being hit over the head.
And now you're locked in a small,
moving box.
As you become more alert,
you start to put the pieces together.
The sounds of the road,
the muffled voices
you've been locked in the trunk of a car.
Where are they taking you?
And how do you get out alive?
There are many ways you could end up
locked in the trunk of a car.
It could be the result of a kidnapping,
carjacking, or even domestic violence.
But there's no time to worry about
how you got in the trunk.
Right now,
you need to focus on getting out.
Not only do trunks have poor ventilation,
but they're also not cooled or heated,
so things are going to get dangerous fast.
Don’t let fear paralyze you.
Be proactive, and start looking for a tool.
Pull any cables you find,
as one might open the trunk.
In 2017, a 25-year-old woman
from Birmingham, Alabama
was kidnapped outside her apartment.
The kidnapper had a gun
and forced her into her car's trunk.
The attacker drove to several locations
trying to use the woman’s credit card.
She was able to escape by using the light
on an insulin pump and finding the latch.
She popped the trunk,
then jumped out of the moving vehicle.
Then she went into a gas station and
called the police.
One of the most common tactics
attackers use to abduct victims is
to bump the target’s car from behind.
When the victim gets out
to see the damage,
they suddenly find themselves
in the trunk of their car.
So next time someone hits your car
at a red light,
make sure it is safe to get out of the car.
Another tactic abductors use
is staging an accident or car problem.
When you stop to assist them,
you get locked in the trunk.
Not the best reward
for being a good samaritan.
This is a situation where you want to get
people's attention,
so they can call the police and rescue you.
Kick out a taillight
or use something to break it.
Then take off your shirt and wave it out
of the hole in the taillight.
If there are fluids in the trunk,
gradually pour them out so you’ll
leave a trail where the car went.
If you have a phone,
share your location with someone
or contact the police immediately.
In 1995, in the U.S.,
carjackers locked Jannette Fennela and
her husband in the trunk
of a Lexus sedan.
The carjackers abandoned the Lexus in a
wooded area with the couple still inside.
Janette started to rip apart everything
inside the trunk until she uncovered
a cable and a latch.
When she pulled it, the trunk opened.
After that incident, she advocated for
having an internal emergency
release in trunks.
And since 2001,
all vehicles manufactured for purchase
or lease in the U.S. must have a release
installed inside their trunks.
Some cars have rear seats
that you can kick down.
If you have a sharp item,
try cutting through the seats
and crawling out.
Keep in mind that escaping through the
the back seat would be more effective
if the kidnappers have abandoned
you and the vehicle.
But if they see you get out,
they could retaliate
and things could get worse.
That was scary.
But there are worse places
you could've been trapped.
Like 6 ft (1.8 m) underground in a coffin,
for instance.
Think you could survive that?
Find out here on How to Survive.