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US News

North Dakota teen’s runaway car speeds up to 120 mph before trooper’s daring rescue to avoid horrifying disaster

By
Natalie O'Neill
Published Oct. 4, 2024, 6:41 a.m. ET

He was stuck in a nightmare auto Pilot.

A North Dakota teenager’s Honda Pilot suddenly malfunctioned, sending it zipping up to 120 mph — and refusing to let him brake — prompting a daring caught-on-camera police rescue in which the kid slammed into the back of a squad car, authorities said.

Sam Dutcher, 18, was running errands in his SUV near West Fargo on Sept. 17 when the car accelerated on its own and quit responding as he frantically tried to hit the brakes, he said.

A teen was in the driver’s seat of a Honda Pilot when it accelerated uncontrollably.
A teen was in the driver’s seat of a Honda Pilot when it accelerated uncontrollably. AP
Sam Dutcher’s car went up to 120 miles per hour during the scary situation.
Sam Dutcher’s car went up to 120 miles per hour during the scary situation. WDAY ABC

“I went to take my foot off the accelerator. It wouldn’t slow down,” Dutcher said Thursday. “I had the brake to the floor.”

As the runaway car picked up speed, the quick-thinking teen turned off a two-lane road and onto an interstate headed towards rural western Minnesota, where he figured traffic would be lighter.

Dutcher tried using voice command on his phone to call 911 — but it didn’t work, so he called his mom, who reported the frightening incident to cops.

Minnesota Trooper Zach Gruver suggested the teen crash into his squad car to ease safely to a stop before a dangerous intersection.
Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson suggested the teen crash into his squad car. WDAY ABC

“They said they’ve got several officers going to him as well as medical,” Dutcher’s mom, Catherine, said. “At that point I kind of lost it because I just imagined him being either seriously injured or dead.”

Police chased down the teen but still had no clue how to stop the runaway SUV — which authorities said likely had a computer malfunction — as it neared a dangerous T-shaped intersection. 

As a last-ditch effort, cops instructed him to crash into the back of Minnesota Trooper Zach Gruver’s Dodge Charger near the town of Hitterdal, Minnesota in an attempt to stop the car.

When the teen ran into the trooper’s car, the Honda’s crash mitigation system kicked in at the point of impact and helped ease the collision.
When the teen ran into the trooper’s car, the Honda’s crash mitigation system kicked in at the point of impact and helped ease the collision. WDAY ABC

“That was really all I could think of that was going to get him stopped in time,” Minnesota Trooper Zach Gruver, 30, said. “We kind of just ran out of time and distance. I really didn’t know of any other way.”

Police dashcam video shows the Honda zooming through town at speeds of 120 mph as Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson instructs the kid to, “Yes, run into the back of his car.”

The 2022 Honda’s crash-mitigation system then kicked in at the point of impact, lowering the speed of collision, Gruver said.

The SUV was going 50 mph when it struck the trooper’s vehicle. It then gradually slowed to a stop, roughly 30 miles from where he first lost control of the vehicle.

Dutcher’s mom told authorities that the car was recently in the shop because the accelerator kept getting stuck.
Dutcher tried using voice command on his phone to call 911 — but it didn’t work, so he called his mom, who reported the frightening incident to cops. WDAY ABC

Gruver was impressed that the young driver was able to navigate the wild situation — which easily could have ended in a fatal crash — with such good judgment.

“Sam did great,” said Gruver. “I don’t think there’s a whole lot of people that could deal with that pressure.”

Authorities suspect that the SUV’s computer malfunctioned.

“I don’t think there’s a whole lot of people that could deal with that pressure,” Gruver said.
“I don’t think there’s a whole lot of people that could deal with that pressure,” Gruver said. AP

Honda only said that the family should take the vehicle to a dealership for an inspection, refraining from commenting further until an inspection was completed.

With Post wires