### Minnesota State Troopers Save Teen from Out-of-Control Car in a Remarkable Rescue

In a dramatic rescue on the night of September 17, Minnesota state troopers helped save the life of a North Dakota teen whose vehicle was accelerating out of control. Eighteen-year-old Samuel Dutcher was driving into Minnesota from North Dakota when his vehicle suddenly began to speed up uncontrollably. Despite his frantic attempts to stop the car, including using the emergency brake and switching to neutral, Dutcher found himself in a dire situation.

The Minnesota State Patrol confirmed that Dutcher, a resident of West Fargo, had reached the alarming speed of 113 mph. Recognizing the imminent danger, he called 911. Responders quickly devised a high-risk plan to safeguard both Dutcher and other motorists.

Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver, driving at a speed of 130 mph, managed to position his squad car in front of Dutcher's vehicle. Meanwhile, Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson made a critical decision. Realizing time was running out, Johnson instructed Dutcher to crash into Trooper Gruver's vehicle intentionally. "Yes, run into the back of his car," were the precise words Johnson used that night.

Miraculously, the impromptu strategy worked flawlessly. Dutcher collided with Gruver's squad car, coming to a halt without sustaining any injuries. "It's not very often a sheriff's deputy orders you to hit a State Patrol vehicle, but hitting Trooper Zach Gruver's squad helped save 18-year-old Sam Dutcher's life," the Minnesota State Patrol later recounted on Facebook.

Reflecting on the incident, Dutcher admitted he had feared for his life. "It hit me then that this really just happened," he recounted to WDAY-TV. "My mind started to go, 'I am going to die tonight.'" His mother, Catherine Dutcher, shared her immediate dread upon hearing the news, thinking the worst had happened to her son and praying for his safety.

Following this harrowing ordeal, Dutcher returned to his normal life, continuing his studies as an auto mechanics student at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead, Minnesota. The quick-thinking actions of Trooper Gruver and Deputy Johnson undeniably averted what could have been a tragic outcome.