A North Dakota State Patrol trooper tried to stop a BMW M550xi going 109 miles an hour in a 55-mph zone early Sunday in Cass County, according to authorities. Instead of pulling over, the 19-year-old Grand Forks driver sped east on County Road 14, turned off the vehicle’s headlights, and ran a stop sign at County Road 81. The BMW struck a Honda Accord heading south. The Honda’s driver, a 49-year-old man from Christine, North Dakota, died at the scene.
The impact hospitalized the teen driver and his two passengers, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old from Grand Forks, with non-life-threatening injuries. All three in the BMW were wearing seatbelts. Authorities say charges against the driver are still under investigation, and the crash remains an open case.
Stories like this land differently out here, because so many of us drive these same rural roads every day. A traffic stop is temporary. A ticket fades. But a decision to run, at triple-digit speeds with the headlights off, can end a life in seconds. If there’s a conversation to have with a young driver in your family, this is the week to have it. What do you tell the teens in your life about what to do if they’re ever pulled over?
