World News

Electric Jaguar driver thought he would die or ‘kill an innocent person’ after car ‘went rogue’ at 100 mph

By
Social Links for Ronny Reyes
Published March 7, 2024
Updated March 7, 2024, 3:38 p.m. ET

A British driver said his electric Jaguar I-Pace car “went rogue” and forced him to swerve through traffic at 100 mph — leaving him petrified that not only he would die, but also that he would accidentally “kill an innocent person.”

Nathan Owens, 31, of Greater Manchester, said that he was attempting to pass a car on the highway Wednesday when his vehicle, valued at more than $102,000, suddenly malfunctioned, causing it to speed up, the MailOnline reports.

Owens, who was driving home from his first shift as a crisis support worker with children, said the brakes were not working, forcing to stay on the wild ride for 35 minutes as he called the police for help.

British driver Nathan Owens, 31, said his Jaguar I-Pace car “went rogue” and forced him to swerve through traffic at 100 mph.
British driver Nathan Owens, 31, said his Jaguar I-Pace car “went rogue” and forced him to swerve through traffic at 100 mph. Supplied

“In the back of my mind, I was thinking I’m going to end up crashing the car, I’m going to kill myself or I’m going to kill an innocent person on the roads,” Owens told the UK outlet.

The panicked driver was stuck shifting between 90 mph to 100 mph down the motorway as a police escort shut down the road and escorted him to an empty area away from civilian drivers.

Owens said he was terrified of having to weave in-and-out of shoulders on the road to avoid the other cars, noting that he was uneasy of having to drive with police cars surrounding him as he repeatedly bumped into them.

“I felt like a criminal, like in a big police chase, that’s how it felt. It felt like Grand Theft Auto,” he said.

Eventually, the car came to a stop when the miles on the electric vehicle ran out, with the once speeding car coming to a gentle stop on the road.

Owens was trapped in the out-of-control car during the ride for 35 minutes.
Owens was trapped in the “rogue” car for 35 minutes. Instagram/garethhunt21

Owens told the Mail that this was not the first time such an incident occurred, claiming that just a month after he got the car in March 2023, his battery suddenly died while he was driving.

Another incident similar to Wednesday’s near disaster happened on Dec. 23, where he was also forced to call for help when the Jaguar hit speeds of 120 mph.

He said that when he got the car inspected, he was assured everything was safe and ok to drive.

Jaguar Land Rover says it is currently investigating Owens’ case following Wednesday’s incident.

“A full review is under way to determine the cause of this incident, which is still yet to be established. The safety of our clients and vehicles is JLR’s highest priority,” the company said in a statement.

Last fall, Consumer Reports found that newer electric vehicles encounter 80% more problems than vehicles propelled by internal combustion engines, suggesting that manufacturers are likely still working out the issues in the developing tech.