A trip from Wisconsin to San Diego turns deadly for a family. Glen Lerolland and his son Rich are in one car, and Glen's brother Jack Lerolland, Jack's second wife Helen, and Jack's teenage daughter Ashley are in another car. Glen's car overheats, and the Lerollands pull off the road. They are shocked when Rich is almost hit by a car driven by a psychopath named Cliff, who has his friends Red, Tom, and Bobby in his car with him. After an enraged Glen confronts Cliff at a truck-stop, Cliff strikes back by challenging Glen to a game of chicken, which leads to Glen's death in a fiery car crash that was caused by Cliff. Cliff and his friends then kidnap Helen, Ashley, and Rich after Cliff hits Jack with a baseball bat, and leaves Jack to die. While Cliff plots to fake a highway accident to disguise the murders of his captives, Jack goes to local Sheriff Hodes for help, but winds up handcuffed in the police station, as Hodes races off to pursue Cliff. Fooled by Hauser, another prisoner claiming to hold a grudge against Cliff, Jack gets left behind after helping Hauser escape. Jack manages to escape, knowing that he must rescue his family before Cliff kills them.
—Todd Baldridge