An 18-year-old experienced a harrowing drive when his vehicle's acceleration locked, reaching perilous speeds on a rural highway in Minnesota.
Sam Dutcher's frightening experience on September 17, 2024, ended safely thanks to a daring maneuver coordinated by a state trooper, AP News reported.
Sam Dutcher, a recent high school graduate heading home near West Fargo, North Dakota, found himself in a life-threatening situation when his Honda Pilot suddenly began to accelerate uncontrollably around 7:30 p.m. Unable to stop or slow down the vehicle, Dutcher's panic escalated as the car sped up to 120 mph.
The experience turned dire as Dutcher struggled to summon help. With voice commands failing to connect a call to 911, he reached out to his mother, Catherine Dutcher. She was in a drive-thru at the moment but quickly grasped the severity of her son's predicament and contacted emergency services for assistance.
Earlier, the Dutcher family had taken the Honda Pilot to the dealership after experiencing similar acceleration issues, hinting at an ongoing mechanical flaw. On this evening, the malfunction took a terrifying turn as the car hurtled towards a densely trafficked intersection, including a railroad crossing.
Catherine Dutcher vividly recalled her fear during those moments. "At that point, I kind of lost it because I just imagined him being either seriously injured or dead. I didn’t know how they were going to stop a car that was going that speed," she said.
On duty that night, Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver, along with Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson, quickly intervened after understanding the gravity of the situation. Realizing the usual protocols wouldn’t suffice, they devised a last-ditch plan to bring Dutcher’s speeding vehicle to a halt safely.
Trooper Gruver, assessing the imminent risk of crossing the dangerous intersection at high speed, instructed Dutcher to crash into the back of his squad car. This controlled crash would slow down the Honda using the least risky method available under the circumstances.
"Yes, run into the back of his car," relayed Deputy Johnson to Dutcher. He followed the instructions, colliding with the squad car at a reduced speed enabled by the Honda’s crash mitigation system, an action captured vividly on dash camera footage.
The impact, while significant, allowed both vehicles to come to a stop safely, averting potential injury or worse to Dutcher and other road users. "Sam did great. I don’t think there’s a whole lot of people that could deal with that pressure," Trooper Gruver later praised Dutcher's composure during the nerve-racking ordeal.
Following the incident, a Honda spokeswoman expressed the need for a thorough inspection of the vehicle to determine the exact cause of the acceleration problem but refrained from commenting further until more information was available.
Meanwhile, the community and the Dutcher family were left shaken but grateful for the outcome. “I had the brake to the floor," Sam Dutcher recounted of his desperate attempts to regain control of the car. "It wouldn't slow down,” he added, reflecting on the terror of those moments.
The incident has sparked a broader discussion on vehicle safety and the importance of emergency response protocols in situations where technology fails. Dutcher, who is studying auto mechanics, and his possibly unique perspective on the ordeal underline an urgent need to address potential faults in in-vehicle electronic systems more proactively.
