Current:Home > reviews'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph -FundTrack
'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph
View
Date:2025-04-13 07:47:33
When a North Dakota teen lost control of his accelerating vehicle, police ordered him to crash on purpose to save his life.
Samuel Dutcher, 18, was driving into Minnesota from North Dakota on the night of Sept. 17 when his vehicle would not stop accelerating, the Minnesota State Patrol confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday. He called 911 and officials worked to find a way to stop the car without the West Fargo resident or anyone else getting hurt.
As his vehicle reached a speed of 113 mph, Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver managed to get in front of Dutcher's vehicle by moving at 130 mph and parked his squad car in its path. Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson then made the call for the teen to intentionally crash in a last stitch effort to save his life.
Watch teen saved by vehicle speeding 113 mph.
Deputy ordered teen to crash on purpose
"Yes, run into the back of his car," Johnson told Dutcher that night.
The spontaneous plan unraveled flawlessly with Dutcher saved without a single injury, according to Minnesota State Patrol.
"It’s not very often a sheriff’s deputy orders you to hit a State Patrol vehicle, but hitting Trooper Zach Gruver’s squad helped save 18-year-old Sam Dutcher’s life," state patrol wrote on Facebook.
Driver convinced he was about to die
When the vehicle's computer took over, Dutcher tried everything to stop, including the emergency brake to switching to neutral, according to local station WDAY-TV. Johnson initially told the driver that police were going to put stop sticks in his path but that plan was scrapped as time was running out, WDAY-TV reported.
"It hit me then that this really just happened," Dutcher told the station. "My mind started to go, 'I am going to die tonight.'"
He called his mother Catherine Dutcher, who immediately feared the worst.
"Early, honestly, I was like, 'My kid is probably dead.' I was like, 'God, please don't kill my kid, please don't,'" Catherine said.
Saved from this harrowing experience, Dutcher got to return to his life as an auto mechanics student at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Multiple media outlets were reporting the car was a 2022 Honda Pilot but police did not immediately confirm the make and model.
veryGood! (244)
Related
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Maya Hawke Roasts Dad Ethan Hawke for Trying to Flirt With Rihanna
- Beyoncé's Los Angeles Renaissance Tour stops bring out Gabrielle Union, Kelly Rowland, more celebs
- A three-judge panel has blocked Alabama’s congressional districts, ordering new lines drawn
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Julio Urías said he'd grow as a person. His latest arrest paints a different reality.
- Body of solo climber recovered from Colorado mountains
- Marion Cotillard Is All Of Us Reacting to Those Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner Divorce Rumors
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Rhode Island voters to decide Democratic and Republican primary races for congressional seat
Ranking
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Car slams into fire truck in Los Angeles, killing 2, sending 4 firefighters to hospital
- Clear skies expected to aid 'exodus' after rain, mud strands thousands: Burning Man updates
- Georgia football staff member Jarvis Jones arrested for speeding and reckless driving
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Here's why the US labor movement is so popular but union membership is dwindling.
- 'It was like I hit the lottery': Man charged with grand larceny after taking bag containing $5k
- While North Carolina gambling opponents rally, Republicans weigh whether to embrace more casinos
Recommendation
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
A Georgia redistricting trial begins with a clash over what federal law requires for Black voters
TV anchor Ruschell Boone, who spotlighted NYC’s diverse communities, dies of pancreatic cancer at 48
Why bird watchers are delighted over an invasion of wild flamingos in the US
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
Why dominant win over LSU shows Florida State football is back
Teenage rebellion? Dog sneaks into Metallica concert, delighting fans and the band
California woman accused in $2 million murder-for-hire plot to kill husband