Buenos Aires Driver Uses His Car to Stop an Armed Carjacking

A dashcam clip out of Buenos Aires shows a carjacking attempt that ended with the would-be robber under the victim's tires instead of the other way around. Active Self Protection breaks down the footage and why the driver's split-second choice to use his car as a weapon, rather than reach for a gun, was the right call.

Key points

• The setup: According to the video, the attackers had rented their vehicle through a peer-to-peer car-sharing service, which investigators later used to trace and arrest them after the owner got the car back covered in blood.
• The attack: John Correia and Neil Weidner describe how a passenger got out and pointed a gun at the 61-year-old victim just after he pulled into a parking spot at 11:15 p.m.
• The response: Rather than drawing a gun through the windshield, the driver hit the gas, running the gunman under his front and rear wheels before driving away.
• The outcome: Active Self Protection notes the gunman later died of his injuries, and police traced the rental records to arrest his accomplices, who now face serious charges.
• The lesson: Correia argues that when your car is running, using it to break contact is often better than trying to win a gunfight from the driver's seat, while Weidner adds that drivers should know whether their vehicle's safety systems might prevent them from doing so.

Quick take

Active Self Protection's hosts are clear that staying armed still matters, especially if a crash disables the car, but the bigger takeaway is paying attention in transitional spaces like parking areas and being ready to move before a threat fully develops.

Watch the full video: Active Self Protection