On Thursday morning, a 63-year-old kidnapping victim escaped from the trunk of a car after it crashed into a Seattle home and burst into flames, according to Seattle police.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud screeching sound and then a sickening crunch as the car slammed into the home. Raegan McKibbon, a witness, said she saw a man crawl out of the trunk of the car after it crashed.
“He was beat up pretty bad. They had cut his face with a knife and had beat him up pretty badly,” McKibbon told King 5.
“A screeching noise and then the most sickening crunch,” neighbor Cheng Yu recounted of what he heard when the car crashed.
The alleged kidnapping victim reported to police that he was slashed in the face with a knife, beaten, and then thrown into the trunk of his car. He said he was able to break free when his captors crashed into the home.
The Seattle Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the flames. The 63-year-old victim was taken to a local hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police questioned an 18-year-old male who matched the description of a suspect provided by the victim, but he was ultimately released. No other suspects were located, Seattle police reported.
The victim told police that he was assaulted by “several suspects” before he was bound and forced into the trunk. Police said the kidnapping did not appear to be targeted.
Brooks Mierow, the owner of the home that was crashed into, said he and his children were home at the time of the crash. He said he quickly got his children and family’s dog out of the house when he spotted smoke coming from the car.
The case is still under investigation, and police are asking anyone with information to come forward. Seattle police are also reminding the public to be aware of their surroundings and to call 911 if they witness any suspicious activity.
