Police respond to 2 carjackings early Tuesday

CHICAGO - Carjackers targeted two drivers at gunpoint early Tuesday in the Austin and Lawndale neighborhoods on the West Side.

The latest attacks come amid a spike in carjackings over the last year, with police responding to 340 carjackings in January and February alone. Last year, 1,417 carjackings were reported across the city, over double the previous year.

Ride-hailing driver pistol-whipped in Lawndale

The first victim, a ride-hailing driver, was carjacked by his passengers in the 3300 block of West 16th Street, according to an email from Chicago police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli.

As the driver dropped off his three male passengers at 1:20 a.m., they pointed a handgun at the driver and demanded his 2014 green Toyota Highlander, Bartoli said.

The victim complied and was pistol-whipped by one of the males. They drove off in his car, and the driver refused medical attention.

Woman carjacked at gunpoint in Austin

About 6:40 a.m., a gunman confronted a woman parked in her vehicle in the 5400 block of West Quincy Street in the Austin neighborhood.

He pointed a gun at the woman, opened the door and demanded the car, Bartoli said. The 47-year-old woman complied, and the male took off in her gray Jeep Grand Cherokee. She was uninjured.

Police said no arrest was made in either carjacking.