INSIDE EDITION talks to a man who says the cruise control on his SUV got stuck before a police office came to the rescue.
A runaway SUV barreled down a highway, and apparently nothing could stop it.
It all started when 21-year-old Gatlin Jeter set out to buy a birthday present for his grandma. He put his SUV in cruise control at 60 miles per hour but then he says something went horribly wrong. He says he couldn't get the cruise control to disengage.
"When I hit the brakes, nothing worked. I knew I was in trouble," said Jeter. "I realized I couldn't get the car to shut off, after trying the gear shift, after trying to put it up into neutral or park, emergency break."
He says, when nothing worked, he got on the phone to 911.
911 Operator: "What is the location of your emergency?"
Jeter: "My car, it's stuck on cruise control. I can't get it off. I don't want to kill anybody!"
Officer Rocky Carrell was just wrapping up his afternoon shift in Huntsville, Texas.
Dashcam video was shot from Officer Carrell's car. He passed Jeter's runaway SUV and courageously pulled right in front, trying to stop it by hitting his own break. A panicked Jeter didn't understand what was happening.
Jeter: "Oh God, I'm about to hit a car. Oh man. No, no, no."
911 Operator: "Ok, sir, calm down. Keep it calm for me, ok?"
Jeter's SUV continued to speed along. The officer didn't give up. He pulled in front of Jeter's car again. At this point, they were just three miles from downtown Huntsville.
"My car hit his two or three times before it finally came to a grinding halt," said Jeter.
A grinding halt only a few feet from a pickup truck.
INSIDE EDITION was with Jeter as he thanked Officer Carrell.
"You're my guardian angel for saving my life back there," said Jeter.
As for that birthday present for grandma, Jeter finally got her a cake.
"It's my birthday present to you," said Jeter.
"No. Your life is my birthday present," said his grandma.
Ford released this statement: "We can not comment on this matter, as we have not had a chance to review the details. We are not aware of a safety issue with this cruise control system."
