James "Jim" Halsey (c. 1968 - 2001) was the main protagonist of The Hitcher and The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting. In the original Hitcher, Jim was delivering a car from Chicago to San Diego when he encountered John Ryder, a hitchhiker who also turned out to be a serial killer. In The Hitcher II, Jim began working as a police officer catching criminals, but due to his trauma, Jim was suspended after using excessive force on a kidnapping suspect. Jim died while trying to save his girlfriend Maggie from Jack, the Hitcher. Jim was portrayed by actor C. Thomas Howell.
Jim in the car with the Hitcher
