‘Stick Shift’ 2009 Scion Saves South Carolina Woman From Being Raped

At a press conference, Midlands Tech and former USC student Jordan Dinsmore revealed how she had narrowly escaped being raped and possibly shot to death by three teen African-American kidnappers. The incident took place at around 12.15 a.m. EDT in Richland County, South Carolina on Thursday. Dinsmore’s “stick shift” 2009 Scion had a vital role in assisting her to escape her kidnappers.

Dinsmore, who is majoring in criminal defense and is the daughter of an assault survivor, had just finished her shift at Buffalo Wild Wings and had returned home. As she parked her car in her apartment complex, the kidnappers who were kidding behind a cluster of trees, wielded a gun at her.

They pushed Dinsmore to the ground, snatched her purse and phone, and forced her into the backseat of the car. As they attempted to leave the place, they figured out that they had no clue how to drive a 2009 Scion which is operated on a manual transmission. According to Jalopnik, only 6 percent of the new generation cars have a manual transmission. Hence, it wasn't a surprise that the kidnappers were baffled when it came to driving a “stick shift” car.

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As the name itself might be some indicator, a manual transmission requires the driver to shift the gears themselves – between four or five forward speeds, as well as reverse. Without learning the location of the gears and how to shift from one gear to the next, it is impossible to drive a car with manual transmission.

People who are first timers to manual transmission are often advised to first memorize the pattern of gear shifts with the car not in motion and then with someone else in the driver seat before they can themselves handle the steering wheel.

Unable to figure out the mechanics of the car, the kidnappers told Dinsmore to take the wheel. The college student withdrew $300 cash from a nearby ATM, after which she was instructed to drive them to the kidnapper’s “aunt's house,” where she was told that she would be raped.

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Dinsmore remembered her mother's advice of keeping a calm mind and avoiding going to isolated areas if she ever faced a situation like this. Following that piece of advice, Dinsmore tactfully maneuvered the car, deliberately missing a turn. As the kidnappers started threatening her afresh, she put the car in the neutral mode and jumped out, rolling on a concrete road. By the time the confused kidnappers got busy figuring out a way to stop the car, Dinmore had already sought the help of a woman, who informed the police.

Dinsmore’s attempted kidnapping was a part of a crime spree involving the three black teenagers who have been linked to six previous incidents of robbing, carjacking, and sexually assaulting white people. The accused are now in police custody. Sheriff Leon Lott said that the crimes were racially motivated. "This was a crime spree," Lott said, NBC affiliate WYFF4 reported. "They would not have stopped. They made a statement that they did not like white people and they were only going to rob white people."

Following the horrifying incident, Dinsmore tweeted out a statement warning people to be extra careful as mishaps can happen anytime with anyone. She also thanked the Richland County police department for their prompt response as well as the woman who stopped by to help her.