Teen Thought He Was 'Going to Die' When Car Got Stuck on Autopilot at 113 MPH. Then Trooper Saved His Life
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/teen-driver-crashed-into-trooper-100424-a2e9856c49734bada08438a74f742768.jpg)
Today at 11:13 PM
The driver and two deputies sustained no serious injuries after the life-saving deliberate car crash
Minnesota State Patrol via AP
Minnesota trooper passing 18-year-old Sam Dutcher after the Honda Pilot he was driving began to accelerate over 100 miles per hour in western Minnesota on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.- Sam Dutcher was stuck in his runaway vehicle that malfunctioned and would not break during his drive on Sept. 17
- The vehicle accelerated to 113 mph and took him across state lines to Minnesota from North Dakota
- Authorities in both states assisted the teen, and a Minnesota trooper used his car as the stopping mechanism to save Dutcher
An 18-year-old boy survived a runaway car crash that took him across state lines from North Dakota to Minnesota, Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting and Minnesota State Patrol Sgt. Jesse Grabow tell PEOPLE.
Sam Dutcher was driving his 2022 Honda Pilot in Fargo, N.D., on Sept. 17 when his vehicle malfunctioned and could not stop.
Dutcher, 18, repeatedly tried to turn off the car, but it continued to accelerate, reaching a total of 113 MPH and taking the teen from Cass County, N.D., into Clay County, Minn.
His mother, Catherine, was behind her son when the 20-minute incident began and noticed the car somehow malfunctioned. She called 911 and spoke to the Cass County Sheriff's Office, per an audio recording obtained byGood Morning America. "My son is driving the car currently because I'm in the loaner car, and he is going down County 17 and can't get the car to slow down or stop," she said.
Related: Hiker, 74, Rescued by Coast Guard Helicopter After Falling from Oregon Bridge: Video
Clay County Sheriff's Deputy Zach Johnson then spoke with Dutcher, and "was the calming, soothing voice for Sam," says Empting.
"I don't think this is going to stop. I'm going to hit the end of the road and I'm going to die," Dutcher recalled for GMA.
Johnson advised him to put the car in neutral, brake, or pull the emergency brake, but the car continued to drive. Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver also responded and caught up with Dutcher on the road.
"Over the radio, it was there that he was doing 80 to 90 miles an hour. And when I caught up to him, I hit my radar and he was at 113," Gruver told GMA.
WDAY/YouTube
Trooper Zach GruverThen, Gruver went ahead of the vehicle to try to put stop sticks, a row of spikes used to puncture tires, on the road, says Empting. However, he was unable to do so. Gruver then alerted people in Hitterdal, Minn. After Sam's car went through the town, "Gruver once again had to catch and pass the vehicle as time and distance were running out as they entered Becker County," per MSP, adding that two to three miles away, there was a dead end.
"It was kind of just, get in front of them and try to get him stopped," Gruver told GMA.
Johnson advised Dutcher to hit the back of Gruver's car. Gruver then paced Drutcher's car, which hit Gruver from behind. "Trooper Gruver applied his brakes and brought the vehicle to a stop," says MSP.
Related: Pa. Man Allegedly Crashed Car into House Intentionally, Wound up Wedged into 2nd Floor
There were no injuries in the incident. "It is amazing work by these three guys and some quick thinking and putting themselves in harm's way to get this car stopped," Empting said. "It was just great work."
Empting confirms with PEOPLE that Drutcher's car was returned to the local Honda dealership and is now in storage, per GMA.
On Oct. 3, Drutcher and Catherine met with Gruver. "It was incredible to get a chance to meet the officer that saved my son. And to think about him risking his life to save my son was just, it was amazing," Catherine told GMA.
"It was definitely a big relief," Gruver said. "If we wouldn't have been able to get it stopped, I don't think Sam would be here to talk about it."
"We are grateful that the customer is safe," Honda said in a statement to ABC News. "We cannot speculate about the issue experienced by the customer without a detailed inspection of the vehicle. We encourage the family to have the vehicle towed to an authorized Honda dealer to enable that inspection."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Cass County Sheriff's Office and Honda did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for more information on Friday.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
