Wisconsin woman leaps on her car to stop carjacker at gas station

— -- A Wisconsin woman was pumping gas this week when a thief jumped into the driver's seat of her car and she leapt onto the hood of the car to stop him, in a shocking moment caught on video.

Melissa Smith, 28, of Milwaukee, said at least four other cars were at the gas station alongside her as she pumped gas Tuesday afternoon.

When she got out of her car to remove the gas pump, she said she left the keys in the ignition.

She then "turned around and realized someone was in my car."

"I had a 'this is not happening today' moment," she recalled to ABC News, and "ran around my car and then decided to hop on."

Smith said she grabbed the windshield wiper and screamed at the thief.

But the carjacker started and stopped the car, apparently trying to throw her off the hood, she said.

Timothy Gauerke, a public information officer with the Milwaukee Police Department, said the suspect drove the victim's car while the victim was on the hood. The suspect eventually stopped the car and fled after stealing the victim's purse, Gauerke said. The video shows the suspect jumping into the backseat of another car. Gauerke said multiple suspects were involved in the attempt to steal the victim's car and that police are still looking for them.

Smith said, "I'm glad he didn't go and move into the street with me on the car, but when he finally got out of my car, he left it in drive and let it roll into traffic, where I had to hop into my moving vehicle to stop it."

Smith said she suffered bruises but no serious injuries.

Looking back, she said, "I definitely should not have jumped on my car and risked my life, but that was not what I was thinking at that moment."

She said she's learned to "be more aware of your surroundings no matter where you are."

"And take your keys with you and lock your car doors when you get gas!" she said. "I will never not do that."