Current:Home > My'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph -Mastery Money Tools
'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph
View
Date:2025-04-15 06:17:16
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! (3478)
Related
- Trump's 'stop
- Idaho Murder Case: Suspect Bryan Kohberger Indicted By Grand Jury
- Daniel Penny indicted by grand jury in chokehold death of Jordan Neely on NYC subway
- New York City Is Latest to Launch Solar Mapping Tool for Building Owners
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- It Ends With Us: Blake Lively Has Never Looked More Hipster in New Street Style Photos
- Is Your Skin Feeling Sandy? Smooth Things Over With These 12 Skincare Products
- Rise of Energy-Saving LEDs in Lighting Market Seen as Unstoppable
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Growing Number of States Paying Utilities to Meet Energy Efficiency Goals
Ranking
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- An Obscure Issue Four Years Ago, Climate Emerged as a Top Concern in New Hampshire
- Cook Inlet Gas Leak Remains Unmonitored as Danger to Marine Life Is Feared
- Vanderpump Rules Finale Bombshells: The Fallout of Scandoval & Even More Cheating Confessions
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Beyoncé single-handedly raised a country's inflation
- The number of mothers who die due to pregnancy or childbirth is 'unacceptable'
- Climate Change Is Cutting Into the Global Fish Catch, and It’s on Pace to Get Worse
Recommendation
Trump's 'stop
All the Dazzling Details Behind Beyoncé's Sun-Washed Blonde Look for Her Renaissance Tour
Philadelphia woman killed by debris while driving on I-95 day after highway collapse
Beyond Drought: 7 States Rebalance Their Colorado River Use as Global Warming Dries the Region
Small twin
Is chocolate good for your heart? Finally the FDA has an answer – kind of
14 Creepy, Kooky, Mysterious & Ooky Wednesday Gifts for Fans of the Addams Family
Coal’s Steep Decline Keeps Climate Goal Within Reach, Report Says