Electric car owner rescued by police

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【Summary】A driver in Glasgow experienced a terrifying incident when his MG ZS EV electric car started driving itself and the brakes wouldn't work. The driver had to call the police, who eventually rammed the car off the road to bring it to a halt. The car continued to try and move even after being stopped. A roadside repair mechanic had never seen anything like it. The driver was lucky the incident occurred late at night. The car's manufacturer is investigating the incident.

FutureCar Staff Oct 05, 2023 4:17 PM PT

A driver from Glasgow, Brian Morrison, recently had a terrifying experience when his new MG ZS EV electric car started driving itself and wouldn't stop. He described it as a "kidnapping" by his own vehicle. The incident occurred on Sunday, October 1, while he was heading home from work. Morrison had to dial 999 from inside the car to report the situation and request assistance.

According to Morrison, the brakes of his fully electric vehicle failed, leaving him stuck at a speed of 30mph. He called the police for help, and they had to use their own vehicle to slowly bring his car to a halt. Even after stopping, the car still tried to move on its own. A roadside repair mechanic who later examined the car said they had never seen anything like it.

Morrison considers himself lucky that the incident occurred late at night when there was less traffic. He recounted how he realized something was wrong when he approached a roundabout and tried to slow down but the car didn't respond. He heard a grinding noise and knew it wasn't an issue with the brake pads. Unable to jump out due to mobility issues, he felt trapped inside the car.

Feeling helpless, Morrison initially called his wife to warn other drivers about his situation. As he approached traffic lights and more roundabouts, he became increasingly concerned about potential accidents involving pedestrians and late-night pub-goers. Eventually, he dialed 999 and the police sent help. The call handlers were unfamiliar with this kind of issue and didn't know how to assist.

Three police vehicles arrived and surrounded Morrison's car. They attempted various methods to shut off the engine, but nothing worked. Finally, they instructed Morrison to crash into the back of their van to bring the car to a stop. The dashboard of the car displayed multiple faults, and after a while, a big red symbol appeared, advising him to stop driving immediately.

Once the car was stopped, a police officer got into the car and managed to keep it stationary. However, when they tried to move their van, the car started moving again, so they had to wait for the RAC (Recovery Assistance Company) to arrive. The RAC technician found numerous faults when conducting a diagnostic check on the car but was unwilling to turn the engine on to investigate further.

Mr. Morrison's insurance company is currently investigating the incident. He is now unsure if he will drive another electric vehicle in the future, as the experience was terrifying for him. MG Motor UK, the manufacturer of the car, stated that they were urgently trying to contact Morrison to fully inspect his vehicle and resolve the matter promptly.

A spokesperson from Police Scotland confirmed the incident and stated that officers used a controlled halt to stop the car, with no damage to either vehicle. The driver arranged for the car to be recovered.