This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A former Memphis City Schools superintendent was carjacked following a car crash near I-40.

Carol Johnson-Dean and her husband were confronted with a life-or-death situation off I-40 at East near Appling Road Wednesday.

They say someone driving a gold, four-door Infiniti hit the rear bumper of their vehicle. As the couple got out to survey the damage, the other driver and his passenger reportedly pointed an assault rifle at them and threatened to kill them if they didn’t give up the vehicle.

In a statement on Facebook, Johnson’s husband, Willie Dean, wrote “Thanks be to God that we were not physically injured or killed. God is good, all the time!”

Johnson-Dean was superintendent of Memphis City Schools from 2003 to 2007, and in 2019 served as interim president of Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis.

Bennie Cobb, a friend of the couple and a retired Shelby County Sheriff captain, said the bump and rob tactic was nothing new, but it’s getting more dangerous.

“I’m so happy that she and her husband were not injured,” Cobb said. “This bump and rob is old school. It was happening 15-20 years ago and now it’s escalated to bump and carjack.”

On the same day they were carjacked, a woman in Cordova also had her car stolen after being involved in an accident.  Police arrested two 16-year-olds, a 15-year-old, and a 12-year-old in connection to that case.  At this time, police haven’t said if the crimes are connected.

“It’s a dangerous game they are playing at a young age. It’s a dangerous game, but it’s serious and it not going to be long before somebody is hurt, injured, or killed,” Cobb said.

As the search continues for Johnson’s family vehicle, Cobb is encouraging people to remain vigilant.

“If you’re in the situation where you’re bumped, evaluate the situation,” Cobb said. “If it don’t feel right, you have the right to leave. Of course, you need to call the police at the same time. If you can escape and evade that situation you wanna do so.”

So far, there have been more than 8,600 auto thefts reported in Memphis this year.