If you’ve binge-watched enough crime dramas, you might have pondered what you would do in a terrifying situation. Would you know that crucial tip that could mean the difference between survival and tragedy? I often find myself asking the same question, and my answer is always uncertain. However, one remarkable woman faced that nightmare and turned her experience into a lifesaving measure for others. Thanks to her incredible journey, since 2002, every car must include a glow-in-the-dark emergency release handle in the trunk.
The story of Lisa Thompson and her tireless quest for car trunk safety first gained attention on Atlas Obscura in 2015 and has recently made its rounds on Reddit in a TIL (Today I Learned) post. However, Lisa’s ordeal began two decades prior.
A Night to Remember
On the night of October 29, 1995, Lisa, her partner, Mark, and their nine-month-old child returned home from visiting friends. They parked in their garage, and Lisa was already thinking about her Sunday school lesson for the next day. A typical evening for a new mom, right? But things were about to take a drastic turn.
As the garage door closed, two masked men slid in beneath the door. The sight was terrifying, especially since one wore a mask depicting a menacing werewolf. They held Lisa and Mark at gunpoint, forcing them into the trunk of their car. The kidnappers were unaware that their infant was still secured in his car seat until Lisa heard one of them say, “there’s a baby.” After that, there was no further mention of their child, leaving the couple in a state of panic.
The Fight for Survival
As the car sped through San Francisco, Lisa began tugging at the trunk’s carpet. Miraculously, she uncovered some wires, hoping that disrupting them might trigger a light to catch someone’s attention. Despite her efforts, no help arrived.
“We were essentially saying our last goodbyes,” Lisa recounted in an interview with NPR.
The car eventually veered off the highway and stopped. The kidnappers opened the trunk to make demands for money and bank information. When Lisa attempted to flee, one of the men struck her with his weapon. After handing over their details, they were shoved back into the trunk with threats of death if the PIN numbers didn’t work.
In the pitch darkness, with no clue about their baby’s safety, Lisa suddenly spotted a light. Near the torn wires, a glimmer appeared, illuminating a small section of wire. According to her account to Atlas Obscura, she exclaimed, “I think I found the trunk release.”
Mark pulled the wire, and the trunk popped open. They rushed out, but to their horror, the backseat was empty—no baby, no car seat.
Using an emergency key, they sped back to the city, called 911, and finally learned their child had been abandoned safely in his car seat outside their home.
Turning Trauma into Advocacy
Though the kidnappers were never caught, Lisa’s story didn’t end there. Motivated by her experience, she gathered data and began advocating for legislation requiring car manufacturers to install glow-in-the-dark emergency release handles. Her efforts have undoubtedly saved lives. “Since those releases were implemented, we have found no documented deaths related to being trapped in a trunk,” Lisa noted.
Moreover, Lisa continues to champion various vehicle safety issues, transforming her trauma into a mission to protect others from similar horrors.
Further Reading
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Search Queries:
- How did emergency release handles get added to cars?
- What safety features are required in new cars?
- Who is Janette Fennell and what did she accomplish?
- How to escape from a trunk if kidnapped?
- What to do if you’re trapped in a car trunk?
Summary
Lisa Thompson’s harrowing experience of being kidnapped in 1995 led to her advocacy for emergency release handles in car trunks, ensuring that since 2002, all vehicles are equipped with this crucial safety feature. Her determination not only saved her family but also potentially saved countless others, as no documented deaths from trunk entrapment have occurred since the implementation of these handles.