Josh Chapin

KHOU 11 News

HOUSTON -- A test ride takes a terrifying turn for a car salesman after he's beaten up and thrown into the trunk.

The whole thing sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie, but it all happened Monday in southwest Houston.

And while that victim is safe, police are still hunting for the attacker who posed as a customer.

This all happened at the Gillman Dodge dealership along Beltway 8 and Highway 59.

According to police -- and what's most dramatic about the incident -- the salesman pulled the emergency trigger while he was locked in the trunk and managed to pull open the trunk while the car was moving.

It's unclear where he rolled out of the car, but police tell us it was in the area of the dealership.

Police tell KHOU it all started after the test drive when the suspect and salesman got into a fight. The suspect then threw the man into the trunk.

After the salesman freed himself from the trunk, the suspect got out and pointed a gun at him when police say unbelievably, the salesman knocked the got out of the suspect's hand.

"He has props to fight back," said one worker at the dealership who didn't want to be identified. "This area here in general is not a good one to be in, but no one would ever expect this at a dealership. It amazes me how he was able to fight back from this and guard himself."

There was a short pursuit, but eventually police chased the stolen red Dodge Challenger to a church on Dairy Ashford near Westheimer Road.

While the salesman was in the trunk, a friend was tracking him on his phone which led the friend to this intersection at Wrenthorpe and Rockhampton.

"One of my officers was on patrol," said Arthur Chatman, who does private security for a neighborhood around the dealership. "He was flagged down by the victim's friend who had apparently tracked him here to this location stating his friend was kidnapped."

The hunt is on for that suspect who locked the salesman in the trunk.

We're told shots were fired, but no one was hit.