Typically, if you crash your SUV into the back of a patrol car, you’re going to be in for a bad time. And not just because it’s going to inevitably force you to interact with cops. So imagine Clay County, Minnesota resident Sam Dutcher’s surprise when the cops told him to intentionally drive into the back of a speeding patrol car in an attempt to bring his out-of-control Honda Pilot to a stop before it ran out of road.
The Drive reports that on September 17, the 18-year-old’s SUV began to accelerate on its own. Fortunately for Dutcher, he was on a long, relatively straight road and had a little time. The brakes reportedly wouldn’t slow the car down, and he couldn’t turn it off. It’s unclear whether or not the transmission wouldn’t let him shift into neutral, but considering the fact that he spent the next 30 miles on the phone with a 911 operator, it’s probably safe to assume they suggested all of the things you’re probably thinking he should have tried.
Minnesota State Police responded to the call, catching up with and driving alongside Dutcher’s car while trying to figure out how to get him safely to a stop. Unfortunately for Dutcher, roads don’t stay straight forever, and the MSP soon recognized the fact that disaster was inevitable unless they tried something drastic. At that point, the Pilot had topped out at 113 mph, which is not a speed you want to crash at, even with your seatbelt on in a very safe new car, and they only had a couple more miles to go before that road ended at a T-shaped intersection.
With no time to try any other potentially safer methods, Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver passed Dutcher, hitting 130 mph in the process. The MSP then told him to rear-end the patrol car. So he did exactly that, allowing Gruver to use his brakes to slow them down and eventually get Dutcher out essentially unharmed. Spending the runtime of an entire episode of Nobody Wants This behind the wheel of an out-of-control car while contemplating his own mortality is probably going to require some therapy, but it could have easily ended so much worse.
When asked for a comment, Honda told the Guardian that it was grateful that Dutcher was safe but said that it “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.”
