A Kernersville woman who was kidnapped outside of her home early yesterday saved herself by calling 911 from the trunk of the stolen car that she was forced into, the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office said.
The woman was able to tell authorities that she had been kidnapped and that the car she was in had been wrecked, sheriff's Maj. Brad Stanley said. GPS data from the phone helped authorities track the car.
"We wouldn't have anything," without the calls from the cell phone, Stanley said.
The woman was found unhurt in the trunk.
"We feel she is very fortunate to come out of this unharmed physically," Stanley said. He would not identify the victim but did say that she was in her 30s.
The kidnapping occurred about 2 a.m. in a residential area in the 1200 block of Pine Knolls Road when two men abducted the woman at gunpoint. The men were driving a Toyota Avalon sedan that had been reported stolen in Wilkes County, Stanley said.
Using GPS information from the cell phone, officers were able to determine the general area in Kernersville in which the car was traveling, Stanley said. The data did not give an exact fix on the car, but it narrowed down the area within about a quarter of a mile, he said.
A Kernersville police officer noticed a car in the area, Stanley said, but the driver sped away when the officer turned around to try to pull it over.
The car was soon found wrecked in a driveway in the 700 block of Oakhurst Drive in Kernersville. The doors were open, and the two men had fled, Stanley said.
The men were both described as being in their 20s. One was about 6 feet tall with a slim build and wearing a waist-length black or dark-colored coat and carrying a handgun. The other was between 5 feet 3 inches and 6 feet, with a stocky build, and also wearing a black or dark-colored coat.
Stanley said he is not aware of any connection between the kidnappers and the victim.
Investigators are trying to determine if the kidnappers are from Wilkes County or whether they are from this area and stole the car in Wilkes County.
"Another option is they weren't the ones who stole the car," Stanley said. "There are all kinds of possibilities."
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at 727-2112 or Crime Stoppers at 727-2800.
■ Paul Garber can be reached at 727-7327 or at pgarber@wsjournal.com.
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