[flamefront]

Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2002 1:05 p.m. EST

Possible hijacking attempt thwarted

By Oren Dorell, Staff Writer

NASH COUNTY -- Local police and federal agents are searching a three-state area for two people who may have tried to hijack a tanker truck loaded with fuel this morning.

The incident occurred at about 6:40 a.m. near the intersection of U.S. 264 and Interstate 95 in Nash County according to the State Highway Patrol.

"Every indication is that these individuals were attempting to stop a tanker truck," said Frank Perry, senior resident agent in charge of the Raleigh office of the FBI. But he added that "There's no imminent danger. Nothing was taken."

Perry said the incident was at first treated as possible terrorist attempt, but later in the day FBI investigators and the State Highway Patrol agreed that they were not sure if it was anything more than road rage. But the Highway Patrol has been broadcasting a radio message to local police this afternoon to be on the lookout for a Dodge Neon with N.J. tags "driven by two Arabic males." The message warned that the men should be "armed and dangerous."

Renee Hoffman, a spokeswoman for the State Highway Patrol, said the incident occurred as the truck was traveling eastbound on U.S. 264 approaching I-95. The driver told police that a copper-colored Neon tried to force him off the road. He eluded them, got off the highway, went to a Bojangles Restaurant and called police.

The car was last seen traveling east on U.S. 264 and police were asked to hold the men, described as carjacking suspects, for the FBI, according to the message. The message was sent to all law enforcement agencies in North and South Carolina and in Virginia, Hoffman said.

Staff writer Oren Dorell can be reached at (919) 829-8963 or odorell@newsobserver.com

[Lucas1]

LOL...Like I said earlier....the story made no sense - it was road rage! Sounds to me like people are just jumping on anything - people need to calm down - especially those among us here! Earlier someone said there was a possible attack at the Pentagon last night. There was NO such thing...some guys were arrested in a tow truck...but there was not an attempted attack. Put the tin-foil away and stop being little panic-mollies over every news story that comes across the wire.

The sky is not falling....though reading this group one would think it is

[areafiftyone]

Perry said the incident was at first treated as possible terrorist attempt, but later in the day FBI investigators and the State Highway Patrol agreed that they were not sure if it was anything more than road rage.

I wonder if this was just another false alarm?

[E Rocc]

Perry said the incident was at first treated as possible terrorist attempt, but later in the day FBI investigators and the State Highway Patrol agreed that they were not sure if it was anything more than road rage. But the Highway Patrol has been broadcasting a radio message to local police this afternoon to be on the lookout for a Dodge Neon with N.J. tags "driven by two Arabic males." The message warned that the men should be "armed and dangerous."

How did the driver decide they were "Arabic" inside a closed car from an eighteen wheeler, as opposed to Italian, Greek, or even Asian?

-Eric