Current:Home > reviews'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph -Elevate Money Guide
'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph
View
Date:2025-04-25 20:31:30
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! (785)
Related
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- High-scoring night in NBA: Giannis Antetokounmpo explodes for 59, Victor Wembanyama for 50
- The state that cleared the way for sports gambling now may ban ‘prop’ bets on college athletes
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor to step down at end of academic year
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Don't Miss Cameron Diaz's Return to the Big Screen Alongside Jamie Foxx in Back in Action Trailer
- Two 'incredibly rare' sea serpents seen in Southern California waters months apart
- Bohannan requests a recount in Iowa’s close congressional race as GOP wins control of House
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Mason Bates’ Met-bound opera ‘Kavalier & Clay’ based on Michael Chabon novel premieres in Indiana
Ranking
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Justice Department says jail conditions in Georgia’s Fulton County violate detainee rights
- Mother of Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym Details His Final Moments
- Two 'incredibly rare' sea serpents seen in Southern California waters months apart
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- What is ‘Doge’? Explaining the meme and cryptocurrency after Elon Musk's appointment to D.O.G.E.
- Jimmy Kimmel, more late-night hosts 'shocked' by Trump Cabinet picks: 'Goblins and weirdos'
- Joan says 'Yes!' to 'Golden Bachelorette' finale fantasy beach proposal. Who did she pick?
Recommendation
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
Georgia House Democrats shift toward new leaders after limited election gains
Manhattan rooftop fire sends plumes of dark smoke into skyline
Top Federal Reserve official defends central bank’s independence in wake of Trump win
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
New York races to revive Manhattan tolls intended to fight traffic before Trump can block them
How Alex Jones’ Infowars wound up in the hands of The Onion
Stop What You're Doing—Moo Deng Just Dropped Her First Single