In a dramatic rescue caught on police video, officers successfully coordinated a controlled crash to save 18-year-old Sam Dutcher when his vehicle suddenly accelerated to 120 miles per hour on rural Minnesota roads. Dutcher, who had just finished running errands, was driving a Honda Pilot that malfunctioned, causing the accelerator to stick. Despite his efforts, the brakes wouldn't work, and he couldn't shift the car into neutral.

"I had the brake to the floor," Dutcher shared on Thursday, recounting the terror as the SUV continued to speed uncontrollably. The situation quickly escalated, leaving the teenager with no choice but to race down a rural two-lane road, hoping to avoid heavier traffic on the interstate.

The terrifying ordeal unfolded on the evening of September 17, 2024, when Dutcher was on his way to the family home near West Fargo, North Dakota. Unable to use his phone’s voice command, he managed to contact his mother, Catherine Dutcher, instead. Catherine, who was at a Hardee's drive-thru, immediately reported the emergency to Cass County police, informing them that the vehicle had recently been serviced for a similar accelerator issue.

Authorities, suspecting a computer malfunction in the vehicle, were faced with a race against time. Minnesota Trooper Zach Gruver devised a high-risk plan to save the young driver. Gruver's strategy involved speeding ahead of the runaway vehicle and instructing Dutcher to collide with the back of his squad car, allowing the SUV to gradually come to a halt before reaching a hazardous intersection.

Gruver said, "That was really all I could think of that was going to get him stopped in time. We kind of just ran out of time and distance."

The rescue operation saw coordinated efforts from multiple officers, with Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson staying on the phone with Dutcher, attempting to offer potential solutions, though none proved effective. The pursuit, captured on dashcam, showed the Honda speeding through the small town of Hitterdal, Minnesota, at an alarming speed of 120 mph.

As Dutcher’s mother awaited updates, her anxiety grew. Recalling her distress, Catherine said, "At that point, I kind of lost it because I just imagined him being either seriously injured or dead."

Finally, just moments before reaching a critical T-intersection, Gruver’s plan succeeded. The Honda Pilot safely crashed into the rear of Gruver’s squad car, bringing the runaway vehicle to a stop and avoiding what could have been a catastrophic accident.