Jared James Nichols was held up at gunpoint during a hit-and-run accident in Portland, Oregon, the guitarist revealed on Instagram Friday. Nichols, 33, and his friend Jesse James were sitting at a red light when a truck “plowed into” James’ car. The driver fled the scene, but his getaway driver later returned and pulled a gun out. The man took off when the police arrived.
Nichols said the driver rear-ended James’ car when they sat at a complete stop. The truck diver was “doing at least 40mph,” Nichols wrote. Aside from “serious whiplash and being in complete shock,” Nichols and James were unharmed in the accident. Afterward, they saw the truck driver jump into another truck and flee the scene.
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The two friends called the police and told them what happened. While they were waiting for Portland police to arrive, the get-away truck suddenly returned to the scene to get some things they left behind in the totaled vehicle. The getaway driver “locked eyes” with Nichol and “pulled a handgun out of his waistband,” Nichols wrote.
“He proceeded to put in a clip and load a round in the chamber,” Nichols continued. “I immediately put up my hands and said, ‘Please don’t shoot me.’ I then started to run [in] the opposite direction as he drew his gun at me. I was waiting for the sound and the feeling of a bullet.”
Thankfully, at that moment, a police car rounded the corner with its lights on. Nichols screamed at the officers that the man chasing him had a gun. “The sight of the police thankfully scared him off and he didn’t pull the trigger,” Nichols wrote. “Without the Portland PD coming at that exact moment, I felt certain that I would’ve been shot for literally nothing.”
Nichols went on to thank Portland police and “whoever was watching over us.” He also included a photo of James’ damaged car. “Thank you [Portland police],” Nichols captioned the post. “[James] & I are a little beat up, but grateful to be waking up this morning.”
Nichols is a Nashville-based rock guitarist known for his “pick-less” playing technique. He released his most recent EP, Shadow Dancer, and the single “Skin ‘n Bone” last year. In an August interview, the Wisconsin native told Guitar World he recorded the new EP completely live in the studio, without overdubs, to capture the raw sound of his live performances. “We tracked everything live and straight to tape, including the solos – no click, no overdubs, except for my vocals,” he said. “We turned everything up and left caution to the wind. It was like, ‘Okay guys, tape’s rolling, play one.’ Then we’d take a deep breath and just go for it.”
