[Doomsday]

Toyota Settles For $10 Million In Deadly San Diego Crash

"Toyota and the families had moved to keep the amount of the settlement secret, but the request was denied by a Superior Court judge Monday.

While driving the Lexus, Saylor called 911 just after 6:30 p.m. the Friday evening after receiving the loaner car to report that his accelerator was stuck. Witnesses said the car was traveling northbound on state Route 125 in Santee at more than 100 mph when it entered a T-intersection with Mission Gorge Road.

The vehicle slammed into the rear end of a Ford Explorer and then plowed over a curb and through a fence before hitting an embankment and going airborne. It rolled several times before stopping and bursting into flames in the nearby San Diego River basin.

The CHP said those killed were Saylor, 45; his wife, Cleofe, 45; his daughter, Mahala, 13; and his brother-in-law, Chris Lastrella, 38."

 

[FJTom331]

Audio like that is just horrible

 

[ridgerunner2021]

I just can't understand why he didn't turn the ignition OFF. .....:thinkerg:

 

[Doomsday]

I just can't understand why he didn't turn the ignition OFF. .....:thinkerg:

Push-button starter.

 

[mikerd400]

Push-button starter.

Yep, and it was a loaner as well.

 

[hearseman]

throw it in neutral, let the motor pop its a loaner anyways.

 

[OK_FJ]

throw it in neutral, let the motor pop its a loaner anyways.

The gear selector in a Prius is an electronic switch as well. No mechanical connection to the tranny.

 

[chaosgeneration]

The gear selector in a Prius is an electronic switch as well. No mechanical connection to the tranny.

they were not driving a prius. a prius can't get over 103 anyways. trust me

 

[hearseman]

yeah i thought they were in a lexus. i'd go with tuck and roll.i thought the push button starters default was to hold them in to over ride it. its been a while since i was a toyota mechanic.(like 10 years)

 

[FJ&TJ_Dude]

Not all driver are created equal. Rest in peace regardless horrible situation for all..

 

[Layonnn]

I still don't know why there was no attempt at the emergency brake. The emergency brake on all vehicles is a mechanical cable connection that runs to drum brakes in the rear hub. (At least it is on all the vehicles i have looked at)

 

[OK_FJ]

they were not driving a prius. a prius can't get over 103 anyways. trust me

My bad, just noticed that.

 

[gravygrabber]

I still don't know why there was no attempt at the emergency brake. The emergency brake on all vehicles is a mechanical cable connection that runs to drum brakes in the rear hub. (At least it is on all the vehicles i have looked at)

At that kind of speed the if you pulled up the "Park brake" (no longer called an emergency brake BTW) it would apply and overheat the brake linings and/or the brake fluid and make them useless anyway.
The guy could have put it in neutral and avoided death IMO.

As far as the settlement goes I hope Toyota changes the way they handle issues with their vehicles after the sale. I can tell you from dealing with the throwout bearing issue they play the blame/deny game all too well. They hire great con artists/lawyers to represent their company.

 

[mikerd400]

I'd be willing to bet at least 80% of the drivers in the US would have crashed also. Unless a person runs some scenarios through their head, they would make the situation a panic situation, versus a controlled situation they can recover from.

 

[NewFJC]

The best thing to do is to put it in neutral. Every car you get into you should know how to put the car in neutral during an emergency and they should teach people this in drivers ed. I was once in a car where the accelerator got stuck and all we did was drop it to N and the engine blew but the car was able to stop. If you pump the brakes at speeds of 80 or more with the engine hitting the rev limiter you will not be able to stop. It really sucks hearing an audio clip like this one.

 

[Layonnn]

At that kind of speed the if you pulled up the "Park brake" (no longer called an emergency brake BTW) it would apply and overheat the brake linings and/or the brake fluid and make them useless anyway.
The guy could have put it in neutral and avoided death IMO.

There is no brake fluid on emergency brakes, at least none that i have seen. It is a direct cable that goes to drum brakes that are inside of the hub on the rear rotors.

The emergency brakes are a completely separate system from the regular disc brakes on purpose. So, that in the event that the regular brakes were completely gone, the emergency brakes would still be able to stop the vehicle.

Even if you do put it in neutral, you know how long it is going to take a lexus going 120mph to stop if the brakes aren't working? It'll take a tahoe about a mile to stop in neutral going 60MPH with no brakes applied. I've tested this.

I agree that the ideal plan of action would be to try the brake pedal, then place transmission in neutral, then emergency brake (along with attempting to turn the vehicle off).

 

[Layonnn]

If you pump the brakes at speeds of 80 or more with the engine hitting the rev limiter you will not be able to stop.

Just curious, have you tested this in the vehicles you have owned, or do you have documented proof of this?

I am guessing you haven't tested this on your own as you'd have to be almost crazy to be going 80MPH and then slam the gas and brake to the floor simultaneously.

I agree, it is extremely sad to hear these folks in terror in their last few seconds. It is bone chilling even trying to imagine the things that they must have gone through in those moments

 

[Madman#1]

throw it in neutral, let the motor pop its a loaner anyways.

That's the first thing I thought too! I had a similar situation in a previous car (89 Cougar), and threw it into neutral and used the E-Brake and Brakes to stop.

 

[Doomsday]

I agree that the ideal plan of action would be to try the brake pedal, then place transmission in neutral, then emergency brake (along with attempting to turn the vehicle off).

The kind of thing that should be, but isn't, mandatory knowledge to pass drivers ed.

 

[Layonnn]

The kind of thing that should be, but isn't, mandatory knowledge to pass drivers ed.

I wish that our drivers ed and drivers training was much more extensive and rigorous.

The hardest part of my driving test was merging onto the interstate in rush hour traffic. Seriously.

There is no evasive driving tactics, defensive driving tactics, what to do in an emergency, etc. They don't even show you how to change a flat tire.

It's a joke. You learn some basic laws and they see if you can drive a car around town.


FWIW, i have actually been in a car when this has happened. My mom was driving me to school in her dodge stratus and i was 13years old. The pedal stuck and she started screaming "i can't slow down". I immediately pushed the shifter into neutral and reached over, saw the pedal stuck under the floor mat, pulled it back, problem solved.