A male driver in China experienced sudden cruise control malfunction and brake failure while driving on a highway, causing the vehicle to speed out of control at 115 km/h for nearly 490 kilometers. Eventually, with the highway traffic police opening the road and escorting, the car finally stopped safely when it ran out of fuel, after about 4.5 hours. Netizens marvelled that this was like a real-life version of 'Speed.'
According to a report by 'Jimu News,' 23-year-old driver Ma Shihua was driving his sedan on the Lanhai Expressway in Gansu Province, China, when he started using cruise control. Soon after, he discovered that the vehicle could not decelerate and even turning off the system was useless. Ma Shihua immediately called the police and contacted the dealership’s technical staff, but various attempted remedies failed. A female companion in the car was so frightened that she cried.
“I could only rely on myself!” Ma Shihua recalled afterwards. He fought off panic, turned on his hazard lights, held down the horn for extended periods, and took risks by overtaking from the emergency lane multiple times. About 20 minutes later, the Lintao highway police responded, clearing the road ahead and closing entrance ramps to the road. More than a dozen police vehicles and highway administration vehicles formed an 'escort convoy' to control the lanes in front and behind, creating a safe passage for the out-of-control car.
Ma Shihua admitted that his biggest concern was fuel range: “When I saw there were only a couple hundred kilometers left, I got really anxious.” Fortunately, most of the journey was on straight roads, with only one large curve safely negotiated. As the fuel gradually ran out, the speed dropped from 115 km/h down to 30 km/h, and the vehicle finally came to a stop.
After getting out of the car, he was shaking all over and was too overwhelmed to speak, requiring support from rescue personnel to help him into a standby vehicle.
The Wudu Brigade of the Gansu Expressway Highway Administration confirmed that after receiving the report at about 8 p.m. that night, they deployed traffic management at the Wudu service area and assisted the Longnan highway police in guiding traffic, ensuring the safety of the runaway vehicle. Throughout the process, the police enacted emergency plans, clearing the roadway, opening the road ahead, and controlling traffic from behind, eventually resolving the crisis.
Ma Shihua said he would negotiate a refund or exchange for his vehicle, and expressed deep gratitude for the police and highway administration’s efficient rescue.