After losing control of his accelerating car, a North Dakota teenager was instructed by police to deliberately crash to preserve his life.

On the night of September 17, 18-year-old Samuel Dutcher was driving from North Dakota into Minnesota when his vehicle began to accelerate uncontrollably, as confirmed by the Minnesota State Patrol to YSL News on Wednesday. He dialed 911 while authorities sought a solution to halt the car and ensure that neither he nor others would be harmed.

As his speed soared to 113 mph, Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver raced ahead at 130 mph, parking his squad car in the young driver’s path. Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson then made the critical decision for Dutcher to intentionally crash his vehicle as a last resort to save his life.

Deputy instructed teen to crash on purpose

“Yes, hit the back of his car,” Johnson directed Dutcher that evening.

The impromptu plan succeeded perfectly, with Dutcher escaping unharmed, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

“It’s not common for a sheriff’s deputy to tell someone to collide with a State Patrol vehicle, but doing so with Trooper Zach Gruver’s squad ultimately saved Sam Dutcher’s life,” the state patrol shared on Facebook.

Driver believed he was facing death

As the car’s computer took control, Dutcher attempted various methods to stop it, including using the emergency brake and shifting to neutral, according to local news outlet WDAY-TV. Deputy Johnson initially indicated that police intended to use stop sticks, but that plan was abandoned when time became critical, WDAY-TV reported.

“It hit me that this was really happening,” Dutcher described to the station. “I started thinking, ‘I am going to die tonight.'”

In a panic, he called his mother, Catherine Dutcher, who immediately worried for her son’s safety.

“At first, I honestly thought, ‘My child might be dead.’ I was pleading, ‘Please don’t let my child die,'” Catherine recalled.

After this terrifying ordeal, Dutcher returned to his studies as an auto mechanics student at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Moorhead, Minnesota.

While multiple reports indicated that the vehicle was a 2022 Honda Pilot, the police have not yet confirmed the make or model.