What would you do? After an accident with an out-of-control and defective car: Tips for drivers – InForum

CLAY COUNTY, Minn. — So that's the question: What would you have done?

Many people have come forward and commented on the incredible story of how the Minnesota State Patrol and Clay County Deputies managed to stop Sam Dutcher's disabled car when it spun out of control and reached speeds of 113 miles per hour.

Jesse Skalicky of Skalicky's Auto Repair in Fargo knows his way around vehicles. And how they have changed over the years.

“Here we are dealing with everything that works at the push of a button. All electronic devices, actuators and sensors that communicate with the computer,” Skalicky said. This is in comparison to older cars; “Normal key. Normal shifter. No snaps.”

After Monday's dramatic story about Dutcher's faulty, out-of-control Honda Pilot, so many had questions about what could have, should have or should have happened.

“You have an emergency brake, you can just put it in neutral. This should stop the car. It should,” Skalicky said.

“Can you apply the e-brake and lock it,” Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson asked Sam during the Sept. 17 runaway car incident.

From gear options to starting and stopping. It didn't matter what Dutcher pushed, nothing stopped his runaway car.

“They're beautiful when they work perfectly… but in this case the computer had a mind of its own,” Skalicky said.

Red River Regional Dispatch actually has a guide for dispatchers. It covers areas such as the differences between a standard keyed vehicle and one equipped with a start-stop button, said Amanda Glasoe, director of Red River Regional Dispatch.

“They (dispatchers) are in a position to be the lifeline for the people on the other end of the line,” Glasoe said.

There is still talk throughout the region that Dutcher and police officers escaped the Sept. 17 incident unharmed.

Dutcher's Honda Pilot is still being investigated by experts who want to figure out how this computer took control and set so many people on a dangerous, terrifying journey that ultimately ended in a planned crash.

“We are grateful that the customer is safe and we appreciate the role of law enforcement in helping stop the vehicle. Without a detailed inspection, we cannot speculate on the issue the customer experienced,” Honda Motor Co. said in a statement released Tuesday, Oct. 13. 1.

In the press release, the company said it would reach out to the Dutcher family.