Runaway Toyota loses control on a California highway.
44 replies, posted
[release]EL CAJON, Calif. — A California Highway Patrol officer helped slow a runaway Toyota Prius from 94 mph to a safe stop on Monday after the car's accelerator became stuck on a San Diego County freeway, the CHP said.
Prius driver James Sikes called 911 about 1:30 p.m. after accelerating to pass another vehicle on Interstate 8 near La Posta and finding that he could not control his car, the CHP said.
"I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny... it jumped and it just stuck there," the 61-year-old driver said at a news conference. "As it was going, I was trying the brakes...it wasn't stopping, it wasn't doing anything and it just kept speeding up," Sikes said, adding he could smell the brakes burning he was pressing the pedal so hard.
A patrol car pulled alongside the Prius and officers told Sikes over a loudspeaker to push the brake pedal to the floor and apply the emergency brake.
"They also got it going on a steep upgrade," said Officer Jesse Udovich. "Between those three things, they got it to slow down."
After the car decelerated to about 50 mph, Sikes turned off the engine and coasted to a halt.
The officer then maneuvered his car in front of the Prius as a precautionary block, Udovich said.
In a statement, Toyota said it has dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the incident.
Toyota has recalled some 8.5 million vehicles worldwide — more than 6 million in the United States — since last fall because of acceleration problems in multiple models and braking issues in the Prius.
Toyota owners have complained of their vehicles speeding out of control despite efforts to slow down, sometimes resulting in deadly crashes. The government has received complaints of 34 deaths linked to sudden acceleration of Toyota vehicles since 2000.
One of the crashes claimed the life of a CHP officer last August.
Off-duty CHP Officer Mark Saylor was killed along with his wife, her brother and the couple's daughter after their Lexus' accelerator got stuck in La Mesa.
The Toyota-manufactured loaner vehicle slammed into a sport utility vehicle at about 100 mph, careened off the freeway, hit an embankment, overturned and burst into flames.
Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, [url]http://www.signonsandiego.com[/url][/release]
[url=http://news.google.com/news/more?um=1&cf=all&ned=us&cf=all&ncl=dtPjxr1yTPkEnBMa1PPocc21c62iM]Source[/url]
Looks like Toyota is gonna have a hard time stopping this one...
Pff, the speeder wasn't stuck. The old chap was just having some fun.
Hmmm...
1. Buy Toyota Car.
2. Go Speeding.
3. Blame Accelerator.
[QUOTE=cameleot;20645829]Not a surprise, it's a toyota.[/QUOTE]
Even geezers wanna race 'em :smug:
[QUOTE=Kybalt;20645868]Hmmm...
1. Buy Toyota Car.
2. Go Speeding.
3. Blame Accelerator.[/QUOTE]
I have a new excuse for speeding :haw:
This is a fault with newer cars, and even some older models, my car did this once.
If you ever find yourself in this situation, I'd (this is just a recommendation) put the car in neutral, it will stop the acceleration and you will retain control and still be able to break. (DO NOT TURN THE CAR OFF). From there pull over and wait, the car will usually work normally again after that.
this is a major problem with some toyotas, but come on, it takes the smallest bit of logic to know to [i]turn the car off, idiot.[/i]
[QUOTE=Karbine;20645966]this is a major problem with some toyotas, but come on, it takes the smallest bit of logic to know to [b]turn the car off, idiot.[/b][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=StormHammer;20645886]This is a fault with newer cars, and even some older models, my car did this once.
If you ever find yourself in this situation, I'd (this is just a recommendation) put the car in neutral, it will stop the acceleration and you will retain control and still be able to break. ([B]DO NOT TURN THE CAR OFF[/B]). From there pull over and wait, the car will usually work normally again after that.[/QUOTE] Hm...
Turning off your car doesn't immediately stop your car.
I can't think of a car pun.
Dang.
turning off the car would be the best bet.
Putting it into neutral would just make it rev to the moon and blow up after a couple mins. Your brakes work with the car off, so just turn the car off, go to the side of the road, and hit the brakes.
Wow!
Was the fault in both automatic and manual cars?
[QUOTE=BlazeFresh;20646067]Was the fault in both automatics and manual cars?[/QUOTE]
I would assume it's just cars with Automatic transmissions, as a manual would just rev the shit out of itself.
-snip for bad pun-ness-
If you turn the car off, the engine will stop and the wheels will lock. If you do that you risk destorying the car, and worse, crashing.
[quote]
The Toyota-manufactured loaner vehicle slammed into a sport utility vehicle at about 100 mph, careened off the freeway, hit an embankment, overturned and burst into flames.[/quote]
Holy shit.
At least the driver wasn't fast asleep at the wheel.
[QUOTE=savinallgrace;20646303]If you turn the car off, the engine will stop and the wheels will lock. If you do that you risk destorying the car, and worse, crashing.[/QUOTE]
And you lose steering. Good luck not crashing and hurting yourself and others when you suddenly lose steering and having your wheels lock on a road where you could be doing a high speed with other cars relatively close to you.
[QUOTE=Canuhearme?;20646336]Holy shit.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, everyone in the car died.
[QUOTE=StormHammer;20646542]And you lose steering.[/QUOTE]
Can't live without your power steering, [i]granny[/i]?
:smug:
[QUOTE=StormHammer;20646542]And you lose steering. Good luck not crashing and hurting yourself and others when you suddenly lose steering and having your wheels lock on a road where you could be doing a high speed with other cars relatively close to you.[/QUOTE]
I thought you only lose power steering? You can still steer your car, it just feels heavier.
[QUOTE=StormHammer;20646542]And you lose steering. Good luck not crashing and hurting yourself and others when you suddenly lose steering and having your wheels lock on a road where you could be doing a high speed with other cars relatively close to you.[/QUOTE]
put it in to neutral, slow down, then turn off car. Who gives a fuck if it's revving to high hell when its in neutral
[editline]03:10PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Maxx;20646694]I thought you only lose power steering? You can still steer your car, it just feels heavier.[/QUOTE]
a lot of steering wheels lock when the key is in the off position
Hey cool something somewhat barely interesting happened in my city. :D
I love power steering.
Why do you need a police escort to hit the brakes and stop a car? The Prius is already slower than shit, it can't be that hard to stop.
Toyota now banned in Australia.
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