Mercer County, Ky. (WKYT) - He was on his way to work before four a.m. on North 127 in Mercer County when he pulled over to help someone and never realized he was in danger.

Mercer County sheriff's deputies tell us Chris Releford was attacked on the side of the road overnight after changing one man's flat tire.

Releford told officials he initially pulled over because he thought the person broken down was his coworker.

Officials say Releford still changed the tire and was attacked when he returning to his vehicle.

Sheriff's deputies say the suspect demanded Releford's wallet and then proceeded to stab and cut Releford several times on his face and chest with an unknown object.

"From where the slice wound was, and he has a gauge wound in his throat, he's extremely lucky, extremely lucky to be walking around," says Capt. Scott Elder, with the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.

For Aimee Perry, who opens Tobacco Warehouse right off North 127 every morning, she says she is uneasy it all happened nearby.

"With that happening at four o'clock, that's way too close. And if that person hadn't of stopped, would he still be setting here when we open at six in the morning? That's pretty creepy," said Perry.

For now, sheriff's deputies are calling this an isolated incident.

The suspect in this case is described as a six foot tall white man, about 200 lbs. who has dark hair and a goatee and was wearing glasses.