A Glasgow man experienced a nightmarish journey in his electric car as it refused to stop, compelling him to navigate through busy city streets at a consistent 30 mph, and ultimately requiring a risky police operation to bring the vehicle to a halt.
BBC News reports that Brian Morrison, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, found himself trapped in a perilous situation when his brand new MG ZS EV electric car became completely uncontrollable, cruising at a constant 30mph and resisting all attempts to brake or stop the car. The bizarre malfunction turned a routine drive home into a terrifying ordeal, sparking questions about the safety and reliability of electric vehicles. MG, a famous brand name in the car world, is now owned by Chinese company SAIC Motor Corp.
Morrison, who was returning home from work on Sunday night, discovered the malfunction as he approached a roundabout and the vehicle refused to slow down. “I realized something was wrong when I was coming up to a roundabout and went to slow down but it didn’t do it,” he recounted. A loud grinding noise emanated from the vehicle, which Morrison initially associated with brake pads, but quickly dismissed due to the car’s newness.
Navigating through the city’s streets, roundabouts, and red lights, Morrison, who has mobility issues, was unable to simply jump out of the vehicle and found himself at the mercy of the malfunctioning car. “It might not sound like it is very fast, but when you have no control over the speed and you’re completely stuck inside, it’s terrifying,” he expressed.
In a desperate bid to prevent a potentially catastrophic situation, Morrison reached out to his wife, urging her to alert other drivers, and subsequently contacted emergency services as he grew increasingly concerned about the possibility of colliding with pedestrians or other vehicles. “The car was just running away on its own, there was nothing I could do,” Morrison stated. No suggestion from emergency services or even technical advisors seemed to have any impact on the car’s malfunction.
Upon receiving the distress call, three police vehicles were dispatched to assist Morrison, attempting various methods to halt the runaway car, including asking Morrison to throw his electronic key out the window to a police vehicle in a bid to forcibly shut off the engine. All attempts proved futile, and the decision was made to bring the vehicle to a stop by having it crash into the back of a police van at a reduced speed of 15 mph at a roundabout.
The rescue operation involved a police vehicle allowing Morrison’s EV to run into it from behind, and then using the force of its superior brakes and mass to bring both vehicles to a halt. Police were then able to disable Morrison’s car, ending the emergency.
A spokesperson for MG Motor UK stated, “MG Motor UK has been urgently trying to make contact with Mr Morrison so that his vehicle can be fully inspected by our engineering team.” The incident, which Police Scotland confirmed involved responding to “a driver unable to stop his electric car,” sparked an investigation by Morrison’s insurance and left him pondering whether he would ever drive an electric vehicle again. “I don’t know if I’ll get another, frankly I’ve not even tried driving my wife’s car – it was a terrifying experience,” Morrison confessed.
Read more at BBC News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.