HARWOOD

'I am going to die': Teen in runaway vehicle saved by crashing into Minnesota trooper's car

Kevin Wallevand — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 23:14:24 GMT

CLAY COUNTY, Minn. — An 18-year-old rural West Fargo teen is alive and sharing his story after a harrowing experience with his runaway, speeding vehicle that traveled more than 30 miles at speeds reaching 113 mph.

That runaway car sped through uncontrolled, busy intersections and small Minnesota towns as it became dark on Sept. 17.

18-year-old Sam Dutcher of rural West Fargo was near Harwood, North Dakota, when his Honda Pilot took off.

"I thought, 'Hey, this thing is accelerating and my foot is not on the gas,' " Sam said.

The car kept going faster and faster. As Sam headed east out of Harwood on 90th Avenue into Clay County, Sam called his mom and 911.

"911, what is the address of your emergency?" Red River Regional Dispatch said to Sam's mom.

Soon, deputies and the Minnesota State Patrol headed toward an area north of Moorhead.

Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson, racing across Clay County, got Sam on the phone as Sam approached busy U.S. Highway 75 north of Moorhead.

"If you hit the brakes, nothing happens?" Deputy Johnson asked Sam.

"Is the accelerator stuck down?" Deputy Johnson asked Sam.

Sam soon crossed busy Minnesota State Highway 9, going over 90 mph. He was trying everything.

"Are you able to push the e-brake and just lock 'em up?" Deputy Johnson asked.

Nothing worked. The vehicle's computer had taken over. Sam couldn't shut it off, get it in neutral; nothing.

"What do you have left for gas?" Deputy Johnson asked.

Plan A? Stop sticks.

"We are going to put some stop sticks out in front of you so the tires get popped," Deputy Johnson told Sam.

But Sam was going too fast. There wasn't time for stop sticks.

"We have officers from all over and medical all coming to him, OK?" a dispatcher told Sam's distraught mom.

The Minnesota State Patrol and Clay County deputies were not only driving beside Sam at this time, they were on the phone with him.

Things got scarier as they approached the small Clay County town of Hitterdal.

Minnesota State Trooper Zach Gruver was trying to think of anything he could do to make the situation safer.

"That intersection on Highway 32 is uncontrolled north and south so, at that point, my plan was to get up there and get the intersection blocked so we didn't have cars coming through when Sam was coming through at 113 mph," Gruver said.

In a frightening split second, video shows Sam coming through the heart of Hitterdal at 113 mph. No train, no trucks coming from the north or south. But Sam said his hope of surviving started to dwindle.

"My mind started to go, 'I am going to die tonight,' " Sam said.

Sam's mother was at home fearing the worst.

"Early, honestly, I was like, 'My kid is probably dead.' I was like, 'God, please don't kill my kid, please don't,' " said Catherine, Sam's mother.

Finally, Trooper Gruver and Deputy Johnson decided now or never.

"It was Deputy Johnson who said, 'This road ends in a T in three to four miles, so at that point, we knew we had to get this car stopped," Gruver said.

With little time left before the dead end, Gruver sped in front of Sam's vehicle.

"I was going 130 mph," Gruver said. "The (squad) car tops out at 140."

A deputy driving alongside Sam ordered him to crash into the squad car; it was their last hope.

"Yes, run into the back of his (the trooper's) car," Johnson ordered Sam.

Then, the sound of a horrible but life-saving crash.

It was over.

After 20 minutes of sheer terror, the car stopped and Sam was saved.

"It hit me then that this really just happened. At that point, I just started to freak out," Sam said.

"When you are in the moment, the adrenaline is just pumping," Gruver said.

Shortly after the scary road trip, Sam and his mom got to see Gruver.

A grateful family and a Minnesota State trooper with a calm demeanor and kick-butt car: a Dodge Charger.

"I don't think I did anything special. I think it came down to that I had the fastest car and I was able to get in front of him," Gruver said.

"There were a lot of factors in there where things could have gone very wrong very fast," he said.

Sam is back at school; he's a student at M-State in Moorhead studying auto mechanics.

It was an incredible week for Gruver. Expecting his first child, he helped save the life of a teenager in a runaway car.

"Right place, right time kind of thing," he said.

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More workers, lighter regulation needed to spur home, apartment building in the Red River Valley, experts say

Helmut Schmidt — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 20:31:22 GMT

FARGO — Construction is strong in the region, but with 16,000 more homes and apartments needed in the next decade, builders need more workers and fewer regulations to build enough housing to keep the local economy humming. That's according to area and national home builders representatives, who spoke Friday during a news conference at the Building Industry Association of the Red River Valley's offices.

Bill Rothman, president of the BIA-RRV, formerly known as the Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead, said that growth in the region requires a strong building industry and affordable housing.

Rothman, also chief financial officer for Kilbourne Group, said the local housing market compares well to that of the U.S. as a whole, but that a study released by the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments in June 2023 projected that 16,000 more housing units will be needed in the next 10 years. One particular area of need is “missing middle” housing, such as townhomes, duplexes and triplexes, he said.

A region-wide partnership with state and local governments is needed to tackle the region’s housing challenges, particularly for workforce housing, Rothman said during the event at 1802 32nd Ave. S.

“We know that we can do more together,” he said.

Rothman said housing permits and valuations are regularly gathered for Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo, the bordering towns of Dilworth and Horace, as well as Barnesville, Casselton, Harwood, Hawley, Kindred, Mapleton and Oxbow.

The most recent report found that through November 2023, those cities recorded more than $1.1 million in property valuations from 4,196 building permits for housing and commercial projects, remodeling, and public and miscellaneous projects.

The report by Brady Martz and Associates found that construction valuations were down about 15% from 2022, but the number of permits had risen 9%. Twinhomes were a bright spot, with permits up 773%, and valuations up 568%, Rothman said.

And among the cities, Moorhead recorded 111 permits in 2023, up 88% from the year before, and valuation rose to nearly $28.9 million, up 74% from the year before.

But multifamily construction in the area saw a 58% decrease in permits and a 31% decrease in valuations, Rothman said.

Jim Tobin, president and CEO and president of the National Association of Home Builders, also spoke.

Tobin said inflation appears to have been corralled. In mid-2022, it had topped 9%, but is now just over 3%. However, the 11 interest rates hikes imposed by the Federal Reserve since March of 2022, while effective, had “a chilling effect on the housing market across the country.”

Mortgage interest rates are now in a transition phase, Tobin said, down about 1% in the last two months, which is getting homebuyers back into the market.

Tobin said the NAHB expects the “new normal” for interest rates to dip to the 5-5 ½% range by 2025, which should loosen up the housing market.

Economic growth in the Red River Valley will need housing for workers if it is to continue, Tobin said. He urged lawmakers to support lighter regulations on housing construction to keep costs down.

“I am very, very optimistic about 2024 as a pivot year, as we move into the future. Now is the time” to get our house in order, Tobin said.

He said three “headwinds” must be addressed:

Workers in the industry are aging. About 400,000 trained workers are needed in coming years. Trades programs need to be reinvigorated, Tobin said.
Regulation has hurt affordability. Tobin said 25% of the cost of new homes is tied to rules at local, state and federal levels. For multifamily buildings, he pegs that cost at 43%.
Supply chains for lumber and other materials must be bolstered to be sure they can handle increased construction demands.

As part of the event, Rothman also explained the decision to change the name of the Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead to the Building Industry Association of the Red River Valley.

The new name better represents the group’s “scope and vision," he said.

“We are thrilled that this new name better reflects the makeup of our membership” and hope it encourages membership growth, Rothman said.

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