Death Ride

Scott Hardie | February 2, 2004
A woman in Colorado was trapped in her car as the engine accelerated to over 100 mph and took her on a 75-mile journey down the interstate. After 45 minutes, she finally got her cell phone working, and her friend alerted police, who used a truck to slow down her car to a stop. (Here's the story.)

My thinking: The Colorado State Troopers have some explaining to do if a woman can drive at over 100 mph down the interstate for 45 minutes without them noticing.

Anna Gregoline | February 2, 2004
Reminds me of Rescue 9-11 - an episode where a woman's accelerator got stuck and she had the same problem. Police DID notice, however, and were chasing her for some time before her 9-11 call from her cell phone was tied to the chase in progress. The police were debating shooting out her tires! Once they realized what was going on they slowed down her car by boxing it in on all sides with police cars. It was truely a terrifying call, and touchingly to me, the thing she was most frightened about was killing someone else, not herself. It took longer than it should have to slow her down because she was scared she would kill the police officers trying to help her.

Kris Weberg | February 3, 2004
I dunno....I've managed to go around 90 on parts of the Illinois highway for nearly that long without anyone noticing, and this in early afternoons on weekdays.

Jeff Flom | February 3, 2004
To everyone on tragic comedy -- If your accelerator sticks and your going over 100 miles an hour down the interstate... TURN THE ENGINE OFF. If that doesn't work put the transmission in neutral and let the engine blow.

Matthew Preston | February 3, 2004
I accidentally threw a car I had once into park while driving. The engine had a fail-safe and simply died. I am assuming most cars built today have a similar mechanism.

Anna Gregoline | February 3, 2004
I wish I'd seen it recently, but on that 911 call, she couldn't turn the engine off, I think. I don't know about neutral.

Scott Hardie | February 4, 2004
Matt: Accidentally? I thought Jason threw it into park. While you were driving on ice.

Anna Gregoline | February 4, 2004
Oh, do tell. =)

Matthew Preston | February 4, 2004
Two separate incidents. The one I was referring to was when I was driving down a steep hill and decided to put the car into neutral to see how far I could coast. I missed and threw it into park.

What your probably thinking about is the time in the Jewel parking lot in winter. I was riding with Larry Maples and unbeknownst to me, he threw the car into neutral. I just kept revving the engine thinking I was stuck in ice or snow.

Matthew Preston | February 4, 2004
Now, come to think of it, there was a time when I was riding with Jason in his truck on a snowy back road. His car was manual and he pulled the parking brake. This caused us to spin out of control. Terrifying and fun.

Scott Hardie | February 4, 2004
That's right; it was Jason's truck. I remember you telling me that it was scary how he just did that out of nowhere, so I guess I got it in my memory that it was you behind the wheel.

Folks, don't try this stuff at home. Leave it to bored teenagers and women on Rescue 911.