Carjackers target drivers with "bump and rob" scheme

“It's a vibrant area, it's coming back. Businesses are here, the customers are great, the area is really nice,” said Dana Oglesby, who works in the neighborhood.

While there may be signs that the area at E. McNichols and John R. on the Detroit-Highland Park border is turning around, police say at 3:15 a.m. Tuesday, a driver was carjacked after being hit in the bumper by another driver.

“My first reaction would be to think it was a mistake that someone did that and it wasn’t on purpose. So for someone to jump out and approach me with a gun…” said Joseph Williams, whose sister lives in the area.

Police say that’s exactly what happened when the victim got out to check the damage to his 2003 blue Subaru. An armed male suspect in a silver vehicle stole his car.

“That's terrible. That shocks me. I didn’t hear that. I didn’t know that,” said Oglesby. “Like I said, it shocks me because when we’re here we don't see any of that, no robberies, the neighborhood is vibrant.”

Just a few miles away at W. McNichols and Oak Drive near University of Detroit Mercy, investigators say it happened again about 45 minutes later. This time the suspect used the vehicle he had just stolen to hit the other car before carjacking the driver.

According to Detroit Police there were three suspects this time - two men and a woman.

So what do you do if you find yourself in this situation? Police say do not get out of the car, and drive to the nearest precinct. If you can't do that, call 911.

Authorities say no one was hurt in either incident.