A teenager from North Dakota says he thought he was “going to die” when his SUV sped up on its own to more than 110mph (177km/h) and wouldn’t slow down – but he saved himself by intentionally crashing into the back of a Minnesota state trooper’s patrol cruiser.
As the North Dakota television station WDAY told it, 18-year-old Sam Dutcher was driving near Harwood – relatively close to the state’s border with Minnesota – as night fell on 17 September. His Honda Pilot suddenly accelerated on its own to 113mph, a speed so high that it would be virtually impossible to survive crashing.