Kidnapper EV: Man gets ‘abducted’ by berserk self-driving car, police take drastic steps to rescue

A Scottish man found himself in an unusual and harrowing situation when he felt like he was “kidnapped” by his own electric car, which suddenly took control and wouldn’t respond to the brakes. Brian Morrison, 53, was driving his new electric vehicle home from work when he lost control of the car, leading to a bizarre series of events. Morrison, who hails from Glasgow, Scotland, initially noticed the problem as he approached a roundabout and attempted to slow down, but the brakes wouldn’t engage. He heard a grinding noise that resembled brake pads, but considering his car was brand new, he suspected it wasn’t a mechanical issue. With no way to stop the car, he was trapped inside as it continued at around 30 mph (50 km/h), causing immense anxiety. Faced with this alarming situation, Morrison contacted his partner and asked her to warn other drivers that he had lost control of his car. As he anticipated navigating traffic lights and roundabouts while worrying about potential accidents with pedestrians, he decided to call the emergency services (999 in the UK). The response from emergency services was perplexing since they had never encountered such an issue before, which involved a self-driving car seemingly running out of control. Three police vehicles were dispatched to assist Morrison, driving in front of and behind his car. When approached by a police van, Morrison informed them of his predicament. Various attempts to halt the car were made, including trying to throw the electronic key through the police van window and pressing the power button multiple times. None of these efforts succeeded. Ultimately, Morrison was asked to hold the power button for an extended period, which also proved ineffective. In a last-ditch effort, police advised Morrison to collide with the back of their van as they entered a more populated area. The crash resulted in the car’s deceleration, and the police officer managed to stabilize the vehicle. The situation required the police to keep their van stationary until roadside assistance from the RAC arrived. Brian Morrison’s experience was undoubtedly a terrifying one, emphasising the potential challenges that may arise with the increasing complexity of modern vehicles and their advanced technologies. The perplexing incident involving Brian Morrison’s electric car continues to baffle experts, with Morrison stating, “I still have no idea what happened, but when the RAC got to me about three hours later he plugged in the car to do a diagnostic check and there were pages of faults.” The mechanic from the RAC noted that he had never encountered a situation like this before and was hesitant to restart the car to diagnose the problem. Morrison’s insurance company is currently conducting an investigation into the incident, leaving him with doubts about driving another electric vehicle in the future. “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,” he expressed. The police confirmed the incident, stating, “Around 10:35 PM Sunday, October 1, we received a report of a driver unable to stop his electric car on the A803 heading towards Kirkintilloch. The car was travelling at a low speed, and officers carried out a controlled halt with the aid of a police vehicle. There was no damage to either vehicle. The driver arranged for the vehicle to be recovered.” The incident underscores the importance of understanding and addressing potential issues related to the growing complexity of electric vehicles and their advanced technologies.