Current:Home > Scams'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph -TruePath Finance
'I am going to die': Video shows North Dakota teen crashing runaway car at 113 mph
View
Date:2025-04-15 05:53:03
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! (45869)
Related
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ bill draws international condemnation after it is passed by parliament
- Providence NAACP president convicted of campaign finance violations
- Big Ten, SEC want it all with 14-team College Football Playoff proposal
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- See the humanoid work robot OpenAI is bringing to life with artificial intelligence
- Democratic lawmakers ask Justice Department to probe Tennessee’s voting rights restoration changes
- 50 years ago, 'Blazing Saddles' broke wind — and box office expectations
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Utah Legislature expands ability of clergy members to report child abuse
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- CDC finds flu shots 42% effective this season, better than some recent years
- Stephen Baldwin Shares Cryptic Message After Praying for Justin and Hailey Bieber
- Missouri process server and police officer shot and killed after trying to serve eviction notice
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- SEC dominating the upper half of this week's Bracketology predicting the NCAA men's tournament
- Chick-fil-A tells customers to discard Polynesian sauce dipping cups due to allergy concerns
- Rihanna and A$AP’s Noir-Inspired Film Is Exactly What You Came For
Recommendation
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
Georgia Senate passes bill banning taxpayer, private funds for American Library Association
Staggering action sequences can't help 'Dune: Part Two' sustain a sense of awe
Delaware couple sentenced to over 150 years in prison for indescribable torture of sons
See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
Alabama Sen. Katie Britt to deliver Republican response to Biden's State of the Union address
Florida girl still missing after mother's boyfriend arrested for disturbing images
Montana judge declares 3 laws restricting abortion unconstitutional, including a 20-week limit