Driver evades carjacking attempt in Santiago after striking assailant

The full story

On February 7, 2026, a motorist in the Quilicura commune of Santiago, Chile, encountered a coordinated carjacking attempt, locally known as an 'encerrona.' Dashcam footage shows a dark sedan abruptly stopping in the victim's lane at the interchange of Route 5 and Autopista Vespucio Norte. As two individuals exited the sedan to confront the driver, the victim chose to accelerate, driving through the blockade and striking one of the assailants. The victim successfully fled the area without their vehicle being stolen. Following the incident, the victim provided accounts to local media, explaining that they had observed the suspicious vehicle and prepared to maneuver away before the blockade occurred. Authorities later linked the suspects to an earlier attempted robbery at the Arauco Premium Outlet Buenaventura, where security guards prevented a theft. The dark sedan used in the incident was subsequently recovered by Carabineros in Quilicura and confirmed to be a stolen vehicle. While the incident gained significant attention in Chile and sparked public debate regarding self-defense and vehicle safety, no arrests of the specific suspects involved in the dashcam footage had been publicly confirmed as of mid-February 2026.