A truck driver was rescued from being held at gunpoint by a couple in Missouri early on Monday after his employer contacted police because of a strange phone call.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri received a call at 10:40 a.m. on Monday, September 19th from a trucking company concerned about their driver after he acted strangely on a phone call, reported the Standard-Democrat.
A short time earlier, the 35-year-old trucker was heading northbound on Interstate 55 when he pulled over onto the side of the road near the 45 mile marker to inspect his vehicle after running over debris. As he was looking over the truck, a male and female he had already passed while driving walked up to him and asked for a ride. The trucker declined, and that’s when the man pulled out a gun and demanded a ride from the driver.
The trucker was then forced to drive the couple north on I-55. As he was driving, he answered a call from his company, during which the “male subject didn’t like what the driver was saying and struck the driver in the head with the butt of the firearm, ” said Lt. Robyn Merideth, who worked on the case.
Around the 76 mile marker, the couple had the driver pull over, took his CDL, cash, and cell phone and ran away on foot, heading south towards Highway C. The couple ditched the driver’s cell phone in the grass, where he was able to locate it and call his company, who then contacted 911.
Police found the driver at 11:04 a.m. and took him to safety. The driver told officers he was held at gunpoint for around 30 minutes before he could call his employer.
The suspects are described as a white male with dark hair wearing a dark baseball cap, black sleeveless shirt and blue jeans and a white female with dark, strawberry blonde hair with the sides of her head shaved and wearing a pink or red shirt and blue jeans. They were carrying a silver firearm.
As of Tuesday, September 20th, the couple has still not been found. Anyone with information about this couple or their whereabouts should contact the Scott County Sheriff’s Office at (573) 545-3525.