A teen in Minnesota was recently saved by a crash after his car malfunctioned, causing him to accelerate to more than 100 mph.
Sam Dutcher last month was finished running a few errands when his 18-year-old Honda Pilot seemed to malfunction. The car began to accelerate even though Dutcher’s foot was not on the gas pedal. The vehicle’s brake pedal also would not work and Dutcher was unable to shift the car into neutral, resulting in him speeding down a road in the Minnesota countryside.
“I had the brake to the floor,” Dutcher said. The vehicle had reached speeds of 120 mph, according to the AP.
A last-minute plan averted catastrophe that September evening when a state trooper sped ahead of the out-of-control Honda and instructed Dutcher to collide with the rear of his squad car, bringing the vehicle safely to a stop just before it reached a hazardous intersection.
Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver spoke about the incident and the plan to have Dutcher’s vehicle crash into a squad car, saying, “That was really all I could think of that was going to get him stopped in time.”
“We kind of just ran out of time and distance. I really didn’t know of any other way,” Gruver said.
Minnesota State Patrol via AP/Minnesota State Patrol via AP
Dutcher, a recent high school graduate studying auto mechanics, was driving to his family’s home near West Fargo, North Dakota, around 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 when he noticed something was wrong with his car.
“I went to take my foot off the accelerator,” Dutcher recounted. “It wouldn’t slow down.”
As the SUV picked up speed, Dutcher faced two choices: continue on the two-lane road into Minnesota or merge onto the interstate. Believing the quieter route would be safer, he opted for the less-traveled road.
When voice commands on his phone failed to connect to 911, Dutcher turned to his backup plan—he called his mom. Catherine Dutcher was in the drive-through at Hardee’s when she called 911. She explained that the Honda had recently been in the shop due to issues with the accelerator sticking. Authorities now believe the SUV’s computer may have malfunctioned.
A spokesperson for Honda told the AP that the family should have taken the vehicle to a Honda dealership for further inspection. Gruver, listening to the situation unfold over his radio, eventually caught up to the speeding Honda near Hitterdal, Minnesota, roughly 30 miles from where the trouble had started.
Gruver sped ahead to clear traffic, but his dashcam captured the Honda flying past him as it raced through town. According to Dutcher, the SUV had reached speeds of around 120 mph. Another concern quickly arose: Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson alerted Gruver that the highway would soon end at a T-intersection, just four miles ahead—a mere two-minute drive at the SUV’s current speed.
Law enforcement quickly devised a plan: Dutcher was instructed to deliberately collide with the rear of Gruver’s squad car while both vehicles were in motion. When the 2022 Honda struck the trooper’s vehicle, its crash mitigation system activated, softening the impact, Gruver said. The Honda was traveling around 50 mph at the time of the collision, allowing Gruver to safely bring both vehicles to a gradual stop.
Gruver, 30, and expecting his first child, expressed admiration for the young driver, praising his ability to control a runaway vehicle at such extreme speeds.
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
