Runaway Prius story - Full of LULZ

[Supercharged4dr]

damn, Im afriad to even be on the road with all these shitty ass yota's!!!!!!!!!!!!!


http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/08/california.runaway.prius/index.html?hpt=Sbin

-- The driver of a Toyota Prius says he was taken on a wild ride Monday after the car's accelerator became stuck, reaching speeds in excess of 90 mph on a winding, hilly portion of a southern California interstate.

It took the California Highway Patrol to bring the car safely to a stop.

The driver, Jim Sikes, said he was traveling east on Interstate 8 outside of the San Diego area when he attempted to pass a slower vehicle.

"I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car, and it just did something kind of funny ... and it just stuck there," he said at a news conference outside a Highway Patrol office. "As I was going, I was trying the brakes ... and it just kept speeding up."

Sikes said he called 911 for help, and dispatchers talked him through instructions on how he might be able to stop the car. But nothing worked.

At one point, Sikes said he reached down to try to pull the accelerator up, but it "stayed right where it was."

Alerted by emergency dispatchers, a California Highway Patrol officer was able to catch up to Sikes' Prius and used the patrol car's public address system to instruct Sikes to apply the brakes and the emergency brake at the same time.

The tactic worked, and the car slowed to about 50 mph. Sikes said he was able to shut off the car, and it rolled to a stop. The responding officer, Todd Neibert, positioned his patrol car in front of the Prius as a precaution to prevent it from moving again.

Toyota recently issued widespread recalls due to problems related to the accelerator pedal in several of its auto models. One theory behind the sticky accelerators is the vehicles' floor mats.

But Sikes said "my mat was perfect. There was nothing wrong with my mat."

Sikes said he took his 2008 Prius into a local Toyota dealership about two weeks ago for service and gave workers there his recall notice. He said he was told his car wasn't on the recall list.

"I'll be back there tomorrow," he said Monday, visibly shaken up.

CHP spokesman Brian Pennings said the ordeal lasted just over 20 minutes.

"We are extremely thankful that there was a safe end to this," Pennings said.

A Toyota spokesman issued a statement Monday night saying the automaker had been notified of the incident.

"Toyota has dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the report and offer assistance," the statement said.

[SLOWLS1Z28]

Ok I just dont understand it. Not ever one little bit, it completly confuses me that someone would not think if that would happen to put the car in neutral and turn the ign. off enough to kill the motor but not lock the steering and safely pull over to the side of the road. I had it happen to me in an old carbed mustang when I was alot younger around 17 or so and did that and had no issues. Are people REALLY that stupid or something to not figure this out?

[SLOWLS1Z28]

Oh and I found what may have been what this guy saw.  http://toyotasimulator.com/

[Its Daryn Fool]

LMAO

[Redbone]

....... and turn the ign. off enough to kill the motor ......

I'm with u on this but the part about turning off the key don't seem to b an option. The guy said he kept hitting the button to kill the engine nut it didn't stop the engine.

[orangeg8]

you have to hold the button for 3 seconds for it to turn off, like a computer switch

[Suburbazine]

you have to hold the button for 3 seconds for it to turn off, like a computer switch

Toyota obviously needs to incorporate one of these into their design:

[Supercharged4dr]

Yeah, I dont understand how he could turn it off at 50 and not 90

this video shows you can atleast put it in N

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II_03lbr-Jw

[orangeg8]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#35549366

can't shift in neutral. intersting

[1CRZHRS]

never understood why these people never thought to either:
 turn off engine then click the key forward so the steering will still work as said above
 or put car in neutral allowing the brakes, steering etc... to work who cares if the engine blows up

crazy part is people are dying instead of trying these things. boggles my mind for sure!

[spark plug]

im amazed a prius went 90 mph. lol   the problem is there is no key in those cars.  they have the push button to start it. it's all electronic.  the other thing is im not sure if they can be put into nuetral.  again there is no mechanical parts.  it's all electronic.  like my truck, when i pull the lever it physiccly moves somethign in the trans.  with the prius being a hybrid its a different setup.  i kinda agree that there should be something they can do,  i think alot of people panic a bit much.  i mean 90 mph is fast but it's not like that is uncontrollable fast. don't freak out just cause your doin 90.  and that's kinda weird that he says he couldn't shut the car off at 90 but was at 50.    they def have some kind of a problem. bad part is everything is so electronic,  once something messes up, nothign else works.  kinda reminds me of i-robot.  i don't see why they all went to electronic throttle bodies.  the cable throttle bodies have worked just fine forever and it's a way better fail safe system.  i don;t want a computer controlling my throttle.  that's what my right foot is for.   

[orangeg8]

never understood why these people never thought to either:
 turn off engine then click the key forward so the steering will still work as said above
 or put car in neutral allowing the brakes, steering etc... to work who cares if the engine blows up

crazy part is people are dying instead of trying these things. boggles my mind for sure!

They don't have keys anymore, it is a push button

[Redbone]

He thought of putting it in neutral. In the vid he says he was afraid it would flip over if he put it in neutral.

[1CRZHRS]

He thought of putting it in neutral. In the vid he says he was afraid it would flip over if he put it in neutral.

holy hell i didn't see that. lmfao!
so when he puts it in neutral the steering cuts one way or the other then... lol
good stuff rite there. lol
one of the many reasons most people shouldn't drive i guess. ha ha ha ha

[Supercharged4dr]

Did you see my link Daniel?

You can put it in neutral.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II_03lbr-Jw