A Minnesota teen cheated death after a computer in the drive took control of his Honda and raced him for more than 30 miles at 110 mph – only stopping when heroic officers crashed him into them .
Stunning footage captured the terrifying episode that unfolded on September 17, when Sam Dutcher, 18, drove through the streets of West Fargo, Minnesota, late at night.
Dutchman said WDAY TV he realized he was in danger as he drove through an intersection, and thought, “Hey, this thing is accelerating, and my foot is not on the accelerator.”
When the situation escalated, Dutcher called 911, who summoned several Minnesota State Patrol cars to chase him down 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 went out of control after the drive’s computer system took control and accelerated
Sam Dutcher, 18, said he was sure he was ‘going to die’ after his SUV accelerated out of control for more than 50 miles last month
Clay County Trooper Zach Johnson was among the officers 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, Johnson can be heard asking Dutcher, “When you hit the brakes, nothing happens?”
As Dutcher struggled to explain what was happening as the panic spread, Johnson continued, “Is the accelerator stuck?… Can you hit the e-brake and just lock them?”
Dutcher said nothing worked, including trying to turn the car off or put it in neutral — all while trying to keep his attention on the road.
Officers pursuing the Dutchman were able to speak to him on the phone and were seen on bodycam footage to try to figure out how the Honda lost control
Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson chased the Dutchman at high speed for several miles and came up with ideas, including using strip pins and letting the Honda run out of gas, when officers realized they had to take drastic action
Although the Dutchman would have eventually run out of gas by driving at such a high speed, officers ruled that it was too dangerous to let the vehicle drive much longer.
Johnson also came up with the idea of using spike strips to puncture Dutcher’s tires, but the Honda’s computer in drive kept pressing the accelerator and he was driving too fast for the strips to be safe.
Authorities said the situation became more urgent as the Dutchman’s runaway vehicle approached the town of Hitterdal, which would have forced him to drive through streets more precarious than the highway.
Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver, one of those pursuing the Honda, said his priority was to clear the road so the Dutchman did not encounter other traffic.
“That intersection on Highway 32 is uncontrolled north and south, so at that point my plan was to go there and get the intersection blocked so no cars would come through as Sam came by at 110 miles per hour,” Gruver told WDAY. -TV.
Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver was the officer who finally let Dutcher crash into him
Officers who pursued Dutcher’s vehicle said the pursuit became more dangerous as he neared the small town of Hitterdal (pictured), where he navigated more dangerous roads than the others.
An aerial photo of the intersection in Hitterdal through which Dutcher raced at a speed of 180 km/h
Heartbreaking footage from one of the deputies’ cruisers showed Dutcher’s vehicle speeding through the intersection, though thankfully no other cars came from the other directions.
Dutcher said it was around that time that he began to believe he would not survive the terrifying episode.
“My mind started thinking, ‘I’m going to die tonight,’” he recalled.
The 18-year-old was also able to call his mother Catherine, who listened in during the chase as she tried to calm her son and talk to 911.
She said that while Catherine tried to reassure her panicked son, she admitted thinking, “My child is probably dead.”
“I was like, ‘God, please don’t kill my child, please don’t,’” she said.
Gruver and Johnson said it dawned on them that they would be forced to take drastic action about 30 miles into Dutcher’s pursuit as they approached a T on the road just three miles away.
“That’s when we knew we had to stop this car,” Gruver said.
Dutcher, pictured with his mother Catherine, said during the chase 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 child, please don’t.”
As the cul-de-sac approached, Gruver hit the gas and sped in front of Dutcher’s vehicle, saying he reached a speed of 130 mph.
“The (police) car has a top speed of 140,” he added. Gruver later said he took the hit because he “clearly” had the fastest car, a Dodge Charger.
While on the phone with Dutcher, Johnson ordered the teen to crash his car into Gruver, with the teen appearing baffled by the unorthodox solution.
“Yes, run into the back of his car,” Johnson repeated in the footage.
Dashcam video captured the moment Dutcher crashed into Gruver’s car, which was surprisingly effective and quickly brought the chase to a halt, saving the teen’s life.
‘Then it dawned on me that this really just happened. At that point I just started to panic,” Dutcher recalled.
Gruver added, “When you’re in the moment, the adrenaline just flows.”
Stunning footage showed Dutcher slamming his SUV into the back of Gruver’s vehicle, bringing the deadly episode to a quick halt
After the incredible episode, Dutcher and his mother visited Gruver to express their gratitude for heroically putting themselves in danger
It is unclear what exactly caused the Honda to malfunction. Honda Pilots are not equipped with a traditional autopilot like some vehicles, but are equipped with an ‘adaptive cruise control’ system that can change a vehicle’s speed to maintain a safe distance from vehicles in front.
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 express their gratitude for heroically putting themselves in harm’s way.
Gruver downplayed his efforts as a “right place, right time” and revealed he is expecting his first child.
‘I don’t think I did anything special. “I think it came down to me having the fastest car and being able to get in front of him,” the officer said.
‘There were many factors that could have gone very wrong very quickly.’