Current:Home > News'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph -Streamline Finance
'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph
View
Date:2025-04-15 16:49:08
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! (885)
Related
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- French troops are starting to withdraw from Niger and junta leaders give UN head 72 hours to leave
- Josh Duggar to Remain in Prison Until 2032 After Appeal in Child Pornography Case Gets Rejected
- NTSB chair says new locomotive camera rule is flawed because it excludes freight railroads
- Elon Musk’s Daughter Vivian Calls Him “Absolutely Pathetic” and a “Serial Adulterer”
- U.S. intelligence indicates Iranian officials surprised by Hamas attack on Israel
- Chris Rock likely to direct Martin Luther King Jr. biopic and produce alongside Steven Spielberg
- Woman accused of killing pro cyclist tries to escape custody ahead of Texas murder trial: She ran
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Beavers reintroduced to west London for first time in 400 years to improve biodiversity
Ranking
- Golf's No. 1 Nelly Korda looking to regain her form – and her spot on the Olympic podium
- Wisconsin GOP to vote on banning youth transgender surgery, barring transgender girls from sports
- Winning Powerball numbers drawn for $1.73 billion jackpot
- AP PHOTOS: Crippling airstrikes and humanitarian crisis in war’s 6th day
- Hidden Home Gems From Kohl's That Will Give Your Space a Stylish Refresh for Less
- Taylor Swift Embraces a New Romantic Style at Eras Tour Movie Premiere Red Carpet
- A possible Israeli ground war looms in Gaza. What weapons are wielded by those involved?
- John Cena's Super-Private Road to Marrying Shay Shariatzadeh
Recommendation
Residents in Alaska capital clean up swamped homes after an ice dam burst and unleashed a flood
Stunning images from Diamondbacks' pool party after their sweep of the Dodgers
US arranging evacuation flights for Americans who want to leave Israel as war with Hamas rages
NTSB chair says new locomotive camera rule is flawed because it excludes freight railroads
Chief beer officer for Yard House: A side gig that comes with a daily swig.
Arizona Diamondbacks celebrate NLDS sweep over Los Angeles Dodgers with a pool party
By The Way, Here's That Perfect T-Shirt You've Been Looking For
Olympics legend Mary Lou Retton continues to fight for her life in ICU, daughter says