Legal Definitions - hijack

The term hijack refers to the act of illegally seizing control of a vehicle, often by force or threat, or stealing goods from a vehicle while it is in transit.

• Taking Control of a Vehicle: Imagine a scenario where a group of individuals boards a commercial tour bus, threatens the driver, and forces them to divert from the scheduled route, taking the passengers to an unintended destination. This action constitutes hijacking because the individuals unlawfully seized control of the vehicle and dictated its movement against the driver's will.

• Stealing from a Vehicle in Transit: Consider a situation where a valuable shipment of electronics is being transported by a semi-truck on a highway. A criminal gang intercepts the truck, forces it to stop, and then forcibly removes several pallets of the electronics from the trailer before the driver can proceed. This is an example of hijacking because the criminals robbed goods directly from a vehicle while it was actively transporting them.