CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CNN) — It’s been said, “no good deed goes unpunished.” If that saying is true, a Tennessee man learned it the hard way last week.
According to police, the man was driving down the street just after 11 p.m. last Monday when he spotted a hitchhiker walking along the roadway and stopped to offer him a ride.
When the man stopped at a friend’s house down the road and momentarily exited his vehicle, the hitchhiker, later identified as 20-year-old Jonathan Rippie, jumped in the driver’s seat of the man’s SUV in an attempt to steal it.
When the man tried to stop him from stealing his car, police say Rippie intentionally hit him with the vehicle three times — ultimately driving over him.
When officers arrived on the scene, the victim was able to tell police what happened before losing consciousness.
The man was transported by helicopter to a Nashville hospital with critical injuries. Officials say he is now in stable condition and is expected to survive.
Rippie was arrested three days later in Robertson County for an unrelated aggravated burglary, theft of property and evading arrest.
He was later charged with attempted criminal homicide and theft of property in this incident.
Rippie is being held at the Roberson County Jail in lieu of a combined $1,058,000 bond.
Police say they are still unable to locate the victim’s white 1995 Ford Explorer.
Anyone with information on its location or possible accomplices in this crime is asked to contact Investigator Al Maynard at 931-648-0611 ext. 13411. You can also call Crime Stoppers at 931-645-TIPS (8477) or visit P3tips.com/591. Crime Stoppers offers up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of persons involved in a crime. All callers remain anonymous.
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