[chris]

A 19-year-old Molokai man whose car would not slow down called 911 in a panic on the morning of Dec. 18, 2010, telling a dispatcher his accelerator was stuck and he could not stop. A police officer, who local reports say was the young driver's cousin, ended the emergency by pulling his patrol car in front of the speeding vehicle and braking until both cars rolled to a halt.

According to the Maui Police Department and accounts in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Maui Now, Gaig Yap had just picked up mail in Kualapuu and was driving his sister's 1993 Honda Civic home toward Kaunakakai when the accelerator froze on Maunaloa Highway. Yap told dispatchers he could not shift out of gear, shut off the engine or slow the car with the brakes or the emergency brake.

In the recorded 911 call, Radio Telephone Operator Chris Neuhart asked, "You got your clutch and your brake on and it's still not slowing down?" Yap answered, "Yeah, I'm not slowing down. My car is swerving. Please. I'm losing control." As the Civic climbed to about 70 mph, he could be heard shouting, "I can't stop! I can't stop!"

Officer Kyle Bishaw-Juario positioned his patrol car ahead of the Civic as both vehicles traveled between 70 and 80 mph, police said. He let Yap's front bumper meet the back of the cruiser, then applied the brakes for roughly 100 yards, slowing both cars until they stopped in front of the Paddler's Inn restaurant, where the Civic's engine finally died. Sgt. Randy Esperanza drove ahead to clear other traffic off the highway.

Neither man was hurt. The Civic sustained a cracked grille and scratched bumper and the patrol car had minor bumper damage, police said. On the recording, Yap thanked the officer as the cars came to rest, saying, "Thank you, thank you. Thank you, brah." The Star-Advertiser reported that Bishaw-Juario was Yap's cousin.

The department honored the responders on Feb. 16, 2011. Bishaw-Juario received the Civil Medal of Valor, and Neuhart, Esperanza and Officer Stafford Caparida each received a Certificate of Merit, according to Maui Now. Police Chief Gary Yabuta described the rescue as "a sincere act of bravery and success in lifesaving."