Current:Home > Markets'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph -CapitalSource
'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph
View
Date:2025-04-15 02:33:06
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! (4)
Related
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Minnesota trooper accused of fatally shooting motorist Ricky Cobb II makes first court appearance
- Counselor says parents chose work over taking care of teen before Michigan school shooting
- Chicago to extend migrant shelter stay limits over concerns about long-term housing, employment
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- A Palestinian is killed while with a group waving a white flag. Israel says it will look into it
- Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva received a 4-year ban. Her team's Olympic gold medal could go to Team USA.
- India’s navy rescues second Iranian-flagged fishing boat hijacked by Somali pirates
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- South Korean health officials urge against eating fried toothpicks after social media trend goes viral
Ranking
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- 'No place like home': Dying mobster who stole 'Wizard of Oz' ruby slippers won't go to prison
- What a Jim Crow-era asylum can teach us about mental health today
- Global anti-corruption efforts are faltering, partly due to a ‘decline in justice,’ survey finds
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Michigan man charged with threatening to hang Biden, Harris and bomb Washington D.C.
- IMF sketches a brighter view of global economy, upgrading growth forecast and seeing lower inflation
- Climate activists in Germany to abandon gluing themselves to streets, employ new tactics
Recommendation
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
3 American service members killed and dozens injured in drone attack on base in Jordan, U.S. says
ICC prosecutor: There are grounds to believe Sudan’s warring sides are committing crimes in Darfur
Baylor to retire Brittney Griner’s jersey during Feb. 18 game vs. Texas Tech
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
Job interview tips: What an expert says you can learn from a worker's 17-interview journey
Pentagon releases names of 3 soldiers killed in drone attack in Jordan
King Charles III discharged days after procedure for enlarged prostate