An attempted carjacking was stopped cold when the victim refused to put her car in drive, police said.
The two car-jacking suspects had just been involved in a hit-and-run in Hanover, Md., officers said. Gregory Allen Lassiter, 19, of Baltimore, together with a 15-year-old male accomplice, had stolen the 2007 Chevy involved in the accident from a woman in Montgomery County, according to investigators. The pair also stole an ATM card from the woman, reportedly an acquaintance of Lassiter.
Police said the pair drove the Chevy into the back of a 2010 Toyota vehicle on Rt. 100 westbound, around noon on Saturday. Lassiter and the 15-year-old then jumped out, according to police, and forced their way into another vehicle on the roadway there.
Lassiter jumped into the passenger seat, and the 15-year-old hopped into the backseat. According to investigators, the two demanded that the driver, a female, drive them to the closest 7-Eleven convenience store.
But police said the driver, scared, shifted the car into park and refused to drive anywhere.
An off-duty police officer was inside his patrol car not far behind the victim. He saw part of the incident take place, jumped out of his car, and detained the two suspects until on-duty officers arrived.
Police said they found a small quantity of marijuana inside the stolen Chevy.
