Police say apparent road rage incident was actually attempted kidnapping

"I was right there and he just hit the car and after he hit that car he hit my car," said eyewitness Tim Robinson. "I thought it was totaled it was so hard."

Robinson, a waste management employee, says he stopped at the Valero at Longpoint and Antoine to get a drink.

Before he knew it, the intersection was crawling with cops. They were there to investigate a strange car accident.

"The car right here backed up, then the Chrysler just rammed into him," said Robinson.

The eyewitness says both drivers got out of their vehicles and got into a physical fight in the Valero parking lot.

"And that's when one of the dudes pulled out a big gun and was like trying to shoot him," Robinson said.

One of the men fled on foot. The others took off in a vehicle with police in pursuit.

"I didn't know what was going on. I thought it was road rage," said Robinson.

Police say it wasn't road rage but an attempted kidnapping. Three suspects had kidnapped a man who tried to stop them from stealing his car at a nearby residence. That man's sons followed the trio and rammed the car to save their father.

Police recovered two stolen vehicles while the search continues for the car thieves turned attempted kidnappers.

No one was seriously hurt in the strange melee.