Penny (Rachel Miner), a young woman traumatized by a childhood auto accident that killed her parents, accompanies her therapist Orianna (Mimi Rogers) on a road trip to a mountain community as part of her therapy to overcome her fear of cars. On the way, Orianna hits, but does not seriously injure, a hitchhiker, who she then offers a ride. The hitchhiker is silent during the ride, except to point out his destination.
After dropping off the hitchhiker, they discover that he has punctured one of the tires. Orianna sets off to get reception for her cell phone but fails to return. Penny goes off to find Orianna but trips and falls, having injured her ankle earlier. When she wakes up, she's back in the car, which has been wedged between two trees. Orianna, whose death has been recorded on a video camera, is beside her. Penny tries to call for help, but the hitchhiker continues to terrorize and torture her. Several people who live and work nearby are killed by the hitchhiker when they attempt to help her or to get in his way.
Penny is tortured for another few hours; and, when she tries to crawl out the car window, the hitchhiker grabs her right foot and cuts off one of her toes. After finally falling asleep, she turns around to find the hitchhiker sitting in the back wearing Orianna's clothes, who then pulls off the hood (revealing to be a demented female mental patient) and tries to strangle her while saying, "Don't forget your breathing exercises, Penny." She manages to fight off the hitchhiker by stabbing her in the eye with a pencil and escape from the car, only to trip from her injured foot. The hitchhiker finds her and tries to attack, but a man driving a pick-up truck drives past in time to hit the hitchhiker. The hitchhiker appears to be dead at this point, and the truck driver is panicking. He tells Penny to wait in the vehicle while he assists the hitchhiker. Penny feels a bit of relief as she watches the man and the dead hitchhiker. But terror boils up when she realizes the hitchhiker is still moving.
What happens to the villagers who try to help Penny or get in the hitchhikers way?
they are killed