A Minnesota teenager cheated death after a driving computer took control of his Honda and sent him racing for more than 30 miles at 113 mph, only stopping when heroic cops let him crash into them.
Stunning footage captured the terrifying episode that unfolded on September 17 when 18-year-old Sam Dutcher was driving late at night through the streets of West Fargo, Minnesota.
dutch said WDAY-TV He realized he was in danger when he was speeding through an intersection and thought, ‘Hey, this thing is speeding up and my foot’s not on the accelerator.’
As the situation worsened, Dutcher called 911, who mobilized several Minnesota State Patrol cars to chase him and talk to the teen on the phone while he was behind the wheel.
Incredible police dashcam footage captured the moment a Minnesota teen’s Honda Pilot spun out of control after its driving computer system took control and he hit the accelerator.
Sam Dutcher, 18, said he was sure he was “going to die” after his SUV accelerated uncontrollably for more than 30 miles last month.
Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson was one of the deputies who pursued Dutcher after his car took control and accelerated him through a series of highways, streets and intersections.
In footage shared by the sheriff’s department, Johnson can be heard asking Dutcher, “If you hit the brakes, nothing happens?”
As Dutcher struggled to explain what was happening as panic set in, Johnson continued, “Is the throttle stuck?…Can you press the e-brake and just lock it?”
Dutcher said nothing was working, including attempts to turn the car off or put it in neutral, all while having to stay focused on the road.
Officers pursuing Dutcher were able to talk to him on the phone and were seen on body camera footage trying to figure out how the Honda lost control.
Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson pursued Dutcher for miles at high speeds and floated ideas that included using spikes and letting the Honda run out of gas when officers realized they needed to take drastic action.
Although Dutcher would have eventually run out of gas driving at such a high speed, officers determined it was too dangerous to let the vehicle continue for much longer.
Johnson also floated the idea of using spike strips to puncture Dutcher’s tires, but the Honda’s computer had kept hitting the accelerator and he was going too fast for the strips to be safe.
Authorities said the situation became more urgent when Dutcher’s vehicle approached the small town of Hitterdal, which would have forced him to speed on streets more precarious than the highway.
Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver, another of those who pursued the Honda, said his priority was clearing the road so Dutcher wouldn’t run into other traffic.
“That intersection on Highway 32 is not controlled from north to south, so at that point, my plan was to get there and block the intersection so we wouldn’t have cars passing by when Sam was coming at 113 mph,” Gruver told WDAY . -TV.
Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver was the officer who finally let Dutcher crash into him.
Officers pursuing Dutcher’s vehicle said the chase became more dangerous as it approached the small town of Hitterdal (pictured), where it navigated roads more dangerous than the
An aerial view of the Hitterdal intersection where Dutcher ran at 113 mph
In breathtaking footage taken from one of the officers’ patrol cars, Dutcher’s vehicle could be seen racing through the intersection at breakneck speed, although fortunately no other cars were coming from other directions.
Dutcher said it was at that point that he began to believe he would not survive the terrifying episode.
“My mind started saying, ‘I’m going to die tonight,'” he recalled.
The 18-year-old was also able to call his mother Catherine, who heard the chase while trying to calm her son and talk to 911.
He said that although she was trying to calm her panicked son, Catherine admitted she was thinking, “My son is probably dead.”
“I thought, ‘God, please don’t kill my son, please don’t,'” she said.
Gruver and Johnson said they realized they would be forced to take drastic action about 30 miles into the Dutcher chase, because they were approaching a T in the road just three miles away.
“At that point, we knew we had to stop the car,” Gruver said.
Dutcher, pictured with his mother Catherine, said during the chase that he thought to himself, “I’m going to die tonight.”
Dutcher’s mother, Catherine, said she was praying during the chase: “God, please don’t kill my son, please don’t.”
As the dead end approached, Gruver hit the gas and accelerated in front of Dutcher’s vehicle, saying he reached speeds of 130 mph to do so.
“The (police) car maxes out at 140,” he added. Gruver later said he took the hit because he “clearly” had the faster car, a Dodge Charger.
While on the phone with Dutcher, Johnson ordered the teen to crash his car into Gruver, and the teen appeared to be stunned by the unorthodox solution.
“Yes, he crashes into the back of his car,” Johnson repeated in the footage.
Dash cam video captured the moment Dutcher crashed into Gruver’s car, which worked surprisingly effectively and quickly stopped the chase, saving the teen’s life.
“Then I realized this really just happened. At that point I started freaking out,” Dutcher recalls.
Added Gruver: “When you’re in the moment, the adrenaline is just pumping.”
Shocking footage showed Dutcher crashing his SUV into the back of Gruver’s vehicle, quickly stopping the death-defying episode.
After the incredible episode, Dutcher and his mother visited Gruver to share their gratitude for heroically putting himself in harm’s way.
It is unclear what exactly caused the Honda to malfunction. Honda Pilots are not equipped with traditional Autopilot like some vehicles, but they are equipped with an “adaptive cruise control” system that can alter a vehicle’s speed to maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead.
Honda did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com about what technical fault caused Dutcher’s vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.
After the incredible episode, Dutcher and his mother visited Gruver to share their gratitude for heroically putting himself in harm’s way.
Gruver downplayed her efforts as “the right kind of thing in the right place at the right time” and revealed that she is expecting her first child.
“I don’t think he did anything special. I think it came down to me having the faster car and being able to get in front of him,” the police officer said.
“There were a lot of factors where things could have gone wrong very quickly.”