"They Came Up on Me With the Door Open" — Woman Evades Possible Kidnapping

These days, going anywhere alone can be scary. And when you go running by yourself, regardless of whether you’re in a rural or more populated area, it can be daunting. One TikTok user Jenn (@lenderqueenstudio), shared a video detailing her own experience when a white van pulled up to her while she was out running by herself.

In the video, Jenn explains that she was out running and white van drove past her. The van went around the block and past her again but with the sliding door open this time. In the video, we see the van come to a stop near her, but no one gets out and soon after, it speeds away. But, according to Jenn, there’s more to the story.

Jenn explains in her TikTok video that she was aware of the white van before it eventually stopped by her. And, she explains in the caption, she believes there was someone in the back of the van, perhaps ready to pull her into it if she hadn’t been aware of the vehicle and if she hadn’t whipped out her phone to record the back of it.

“I was running with my dog and this van pulled up slowly beside us and drove off slowly toward town,” Jenn writes in the caption of the video. “I start running home and instead of turning down my street for some reason (thank God), I kept going straight and the same van comes flying around the corner with the rear sliding door open. I jumped the ditch and as I did they slammed the door shut while the van was still moving.”

In a follow-up video, the TikTok creator says that she submitted all of her information to local authorities and a detective. However, she feels that “because no crime was committed,” not much will come of the case.

She also suspects that the license plate, which is from Florida, belongs to a rental van since this incident happened in Maryland. But her story reminds people who go running or walking alone, or with small children, to be hyper-aware of your surroundings.

I can't count how many times I’ve been worried or suspicious of a car in my path while out running and came up with a plan, should someone approach me with ill intent. And Jenn’s video is proof that things can escalate quickly.

Although running alone, or with her dog, is something Jenn is used to doing, people in the comments under her video advise against it for the very reason that Jenn made the video in the first place.

“Do not run alone. Do not!!!!!” One TikTok user commented.

Another wrote, “You always have to be aware of your surroundings!!! It's a scary world out there!”

Others suggested carrying a concealed weapon for safety, which is certainly an option. But there are some TikTok users who also wondered if the white van could have been linked to a lost Amazon delivery person. And honestly, that’s entirely possible. Jenn did provide an update since the original video got so many views and comments.

There is no harm in being vigilant and aware of your surroundings. That’s exactly what this TikTok user did and who knows, it could have saved her life and other people's lives.