Woman Trucker Recalls Four-Hour Hostage Ordeal

July 26, 2006 — -- Truck driver Christie Bundren was returning home to Allen, Texas, after three weeks on the road when her homecoming took a nearly tragic detour.

On Sunday Bundren's truck was hijacked at gunpoint at a rest stop outside Dallas. She and her 4-month-old dog, Hollywood, became prisoners in their own rig for four hours.

In an exclusive interview with "Good Morning America," Bundren, 51, said that at one point during her ordeal, she called her children on the hijacker's cell phone to tell them goodbye.

"I have four children. I asked him right there -- when he said he was fixing to kill me -- I asked if I could call and tell my children goodbye," Bundren said. "No one should have to go through that. That's the hardest thing."

The man accused of hijacking Bundren is an ex-con named Samuel Scott Jones, who said he acted out of frustration over society's treatment of black men.

"Man, if you look around the black community, it look like there is no hope," Jones said in a jailhouse interview.

With a throng of onlookers and a trail of police cars, Jones allegedly forced Bundren to drive for three hours, even after police blew out the rig's front tires.

Bundren said that she and Jones didn't talk very much, but that he spent much of the time on his cell phone, arguing with his girlfriend.

"He kept saying he had a statement to make," Bundren said. "I kept asking him but he never told me."

When officials fired at the truck's engine, the 18-wheeler ground to a halt. An hour-long standoff with police then followed.

"It was scary," Bundren said. "I was just hoping they knew what they were shooting at and didn't miss."

In a jailhouse interview, Jones said Bundren convinced him to surrender. However, Bundren told "Good Morning America" that wasn't the case. Jones, she said. was on the phone when he said, "I have to end this now."

Then Jones cocked the gun, Bundren recalled. "That's when I went to begging for him not to kill me," she said.

When Jones hesitated, Bundren said she grabbed the gun and fled the truck. Once outside, she threw down the gun and SWAT officers rescued her.

"I will be honest with you. I don't know what happened," she said. "I don't know if he was going to surrender, I really don't."

Jones has apologized to Bundren. But she said his words rang hollow.

"He put my children and me through a lot," she said. "I don't have anything to say to him. I definitely don't want to see him."