--- title: "Teen Driver Told by 911 to Crash Out-of-Control SUV Into Police Car" description: "A North Dakota teen trapped in a runaway SUV for more than 20 minutes ultimately crashed into a patrol car to come to a stop." date: "2024-10-03" modified: "2024-10-03" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/teen-instructed-by-911-to-crash-out-of-control-suv-into-police-car" categories: - "News" --- # Teen Driver Told by 911 to Crash Out-of-Control SUV Into Police Car ![Dashcam footage from a patrol car of a runaway Honda Pilot speeding past at night.]() *\Minnesota State Police, The Drive\* Unintended acceleration can scare any driver. But it's especially terrifying for a rookie driver, like 18-year-old Sam Dutcher, whose [Honda Pilot ]()suddenly began [accelerating uncontrollably]() through Clay County, Minnesota on the night of September 17. Dutcher's brakes reportedly wouldn't slow the SUV down, and he couldn't turn the engine off, either. Thankfully, Dutcher was on a long enough stretch of road to handle the speed, while he dialed 911 and authorities tried everything for over 30 miles before finally stopping the teen safely. County and [Minnesota State Police]() rushed to Dutcher's aid, per *[The Guardian]()*, driving alongside the SUV as it crossed State Highway 9. Police remained on the phone with Dutcher through the emergency. After nearly 20 minutes of high-speed driving, his Pilot was barreling toward the T-shaped end of the road at its top speed of 113 mph. Time was running out. At first, the police considered using stopsticks to flatten the tires and slow the SUV down. Putting aside the danger that could pose for Dutcher and anyone else on the road near him, no officer could get far in front of Dutcher's path quickly enough, with enough time to lay the sticks down. "My mind started to go, 'I'm going to die tonight,'" Dutcher told [*WDAY-TV*](). You can see one moment when the SUV speeds past Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver's patrol car at about 1:15 in the timestamped [dashcam footage below](): 'This road ends in a T in three to four miles, so at that point, we knew we had to get this car stopped," Gruver told the local station. Gruver was eventually able to pass Dutcher at 130 mph in his Dodge Charger cruiser to get in front of him, while Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson instructed Dutcher to crash into Gruver. "Yes, run into the back of his car," Johnson told Dutcher in the dashcam footage. So that's what Dutcher did. He struck Gruver's patrol car, who then slammed on the Charger's brakes to slow the SUV down—and, miraculously, it worked. The impact happens at around 3:52 in the above video. Why Dutcher's Pilot accelerated unintentionally is still unclear, and authorities have not yet released their findings, per *The Guardian*. Honda told the news outlet in a statement that it was grateful that law enforcement was able to get Dutcher home without injury; as for what could've possibly gone wrong with the vehicle, Honda said the company "cannot speculate about the issue the customer experienced without a detailed inspection, and we encourage the family to have the vehicle towed to an authorized Honda dealer for inspection if that has not already occurred.” *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()