Good Samaritan Tries to Stop Carjacking

A Carjacking Quickly Turns Dangerous

A routine morning in Lumberton, North Carolina, turned into a deadly confrontation on March 14, 2024, when a group of bystanders attempted to stop an alleged carjacking. Police said the incident began around 10:30 a.m. on West Fifth Street, while officers were responding to reports of a vehicle being taken.

Bystanders Step In

As the suspect attempted to take another vehicle near a McDonald's, several Good Samaritans intervened. Their efforts temporarily stopped the carjacking, but the situation quickly became more dangerous when the suspect was able to take a vehicle belonging to one of the people who had intervened.

One of those bystanders was 38-year-old Jonathan Adam Lecompte of Fayetteville. Lecompte was working for the North Carolina Department of Transportation at the time and was one of the people who attempted to stop the suspect.

The Situation Escalates

Video released after the incident shows Lecompte confronting the suspect as the stolen vehicle was being driven away. According to authorities and reports from WRAL, Lecompte fired several shots toward the vehicle before the truck reversed and moved away. People nearby can be heard warning others to get out of the way as the vehicle moved at high speed.

The confrontation then took a tragic turn. Police said the suspect struck Lecompte with the stolen vehicle. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

The Suspect Is Arrested

Officers arriving at the scene pursued the stolen vehicle after the suspect fled. The chase ended when the vehicle crashed on Selma Road near North Carolina Highway 41. Police identified the suspect as 28-year-old Ricky Alex Driggers, who was taken into custody.

Driggers was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted common-law robbery, larceny of a motor vehicle and felony fleeing to elude, according to police.

A Tragic End to an Attempt to Help

Lecompte had worked for the North Carolina Department of Transportation for 16 years. NCDOT said he worked in the Sign Division of Division Six Traffic Services and described him as greatly admired and sincerely missed.

What began as an attempt by ordinary people to stop a carjacking ended with the death of a man who had stepped forward to help. The incident remains a stark example of how rapidly a vehicle theft can escalate into a life-threatening confrontation.