Man foils carjacking with a jolt of hot java

updated 10:39 a.m. ET Oct. 21, 2005

BLUFFTON, S.C. - A would-be carjacker got a different kind of jolt from his intended victim’s morning cup of coffee, authorities said.

The suspect tapped the car window Wednesday morning with a gun and motioned the driver to get out, Chief Deputy Roy Hughes said.

But the driver — who had just bought a cup of hot coffee — slammed the car door into the carjacker’s legs, threw the coffee at his neck and face and wrestled him to the ground, Hughes said.

A shot was fired during the scuffle but no one was hurt, Hughes said. He said the driver managed to get the gun from the suspect and point it at him.

The suspect ran into nearby woods, Hughes said. Deputies are searching for him and two people thought to be with him who drove off during the scuffle.

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