VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Two Barnes County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a Reckless Driving
Complaint on Monday, June 24th about 1:30pm. A vehicle eastbound on Interstate 94 near mile marker 275, later
crashed around 1:50 PM near mile marker 297 eastbound.
Barnes County Sheriff Randy McClaflin said the reporting person, a 26-year-old female, was also the driver of the reckless vehicle, a 2023 white Hyundai Tucson. Raymie Valleen of Fargo contacted the Barnes County Dispatch Center and reported her gas pedal was stuck and the vehicle she was driving was traveling at speeds of over 90 miles per hour. Valleen made multiple attempts to shut the vehicle off, place it in neutral/park and brake however, those attempts failed.
One Barnes County Sheriff’s Deputy was able to position his patrol vehicle in front of Valleen’s vehicle while the other Barnes County Sheriff’s Deputy was able to position her patrol vehicle behind Valleen. Both Deputies communicated with Valleen through a Barnes County Dispatcher while they attempted to disable Valleen’s vehicle. At one-point Valleen was able to slow her vehicle enough that she decided she could enter the median and use the cable barriers to stop the runaway vehicle before it struck a slow-moving vehicle ahead of the lead Deputy. Valleen entered the median and struck the cable barrier with the side of her vehicle. The vehicle became disabled. Valleen was uninjured and was taken to Mercy Hospital by Sheriff’s Deputies as a precaution.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol will be investigating the crash.
Sheriff McClaflin said Valleen kept as calm as can be expected and due to her quick thinking, she was able to avoid causing any injuries to others on the roadway. Sheriff McClaflin would also like to remind everyone to please watch for emergency lighting while traveling on roadways.