A man and a woman were saved by their car's manual transmission early Saturday morning as a pair of carjackers were forced to abandon the vehicle.
Investigators say that the pair were standing by the car, a 2001 Honda Civic, on the sidewalk in front of 2373 Champlain Street Northwest when they were approached by two men. One of the men brandished a pistol and told the couple to get on the ground. After searching their pockets and taking a wallet, a cell phone, and a purse, the men ordered the couple to get into the trunk of the car.
The men attempted to drive away, but soon found that they could not drive a stick shift. The man was ordered out of the trunk at gunpoint and directed to drive the car. The group got as far as the 5600 block of Nanny Burroughs Avenue Northeast before the man jumped out of the moving car and went to contact police.
The carjackers made another crack at driving the car themselves, but couldn't do it, abandoning the car just over the Prince George's County line with the woman still in the trunk. She eventually made her way outside and rendezvoused with police and her friend.
The suspects are still at large.
