A routine good deed turned into a chaotic carjacking on Friday, June 26, after a local man allegedly wrestled a vehicle away from a woman at a Crossville gas station before being captured following a police pursuit.

The incident began when a woman spotted the suspect, identified as John Adams, walking along Lantana Road and offered him a ride. She drove him to the “On the Way” market to meet her mother.

According to Crossville Police Department reports, the situation escalated rapidly upon their arrival. While the victim and her mother were speaking, John suddenly bolted from her’s car, jumped into the driver’s seat of the mother’s vehicle, and began screaming, demanding to know where the keys were.

Determined to protect her property, the mother rushed to her car, shouting at John that he could not have it. A physical struggle ensued:

• The mother grabbed the car door from the outside, attempting to pull it open.

• John gripped the door from the inside, using it to aggressively push her away.

John successfully forced the mother to lose her grip, put the car in gear, and sped off inbound toward the city.

The suspect’s freedom was short-lived. While Reporting Officer Dustin Lester was taking the initial theft report from the shaken victims, Deputy Jason Powers spotted the stolen vehicle near the 5 Points intersection.

Deputy Powers trailed the vehicle until backup arrived to initiate a successful traffic stop, taking John into custody without further incident. the two women followed officers to the scene, where the mother’s vehicle was safely returned to her.

Following his arrest, authorities noted that John was highly agitated, paranoid, moving uncontrollably, and shouting incoherent comments. While the victims initially suspected he might be under the influence of alcohol, responding officers determined his aggressive behavior was consistent with methamphetamine use.

John Adams has been booked into the local Justice Center. He faces formal charges of Carjacking and Public Intoxication.