Watch CBS News

Dispatcher Helps Panicked Motorist With Runaway Car

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE (CBS) — A Los Angeles sheriff's dispatcher helped a panicked motorist stop her runaway car.

The woman was behind the wheel of a Ford Escort on Monday when she her accelerator got stuck as she drove at about 25 mph on Foothill Boulevard with her 4-year-old daughter in La Canada Flintridge.

The woman dialed 911 and told dispatcher Richard Engersbach she was approaching a red light and couldn't stop the car.

"She was driving a Ford Escort with (her) small child as her passenger," said Lt. Angela Shepherd of the Crescenta Valley Station. "The female began to panic on the phone, because she was approaching a red light and her vehicle would not stop."

Engersbach told the driver to put the car in neutral and turn off the engine. The car slowed down and came to a stop before it reached the intersection.

"Due to his quick thinking and calm demeanor, he helped the caller stop her vehicle, which prevented a serious traffic collision and possibly serious injuries or even death to the caller and her child," Shepherd said.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.