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Runaway Prius driver: Brakes were 'almost burned' [But he wouldn't shift into neutral!]
Yahoo News ^ | 2010-03-10 | ELLIOT SPAGAT

Posted on 03/10/2010 6:36:28 AM PST by justlurking

Before he called 911, James Sikes says he reached down with his hand to loosen the "stuck" accelerator on his 2008 Toyota Prius, his other hand on the steering wheel. The pedal didn't move.

"My car can't slow down," he began when a California Highway Patrol dispatcher answered his call.

[...]

During the two 911 calls, Sikes ignored many of the dispatcher's questions, saying later that he had to put his phone on the seat to keep his hands on the wheel.

Leighann Parks, a 24-year-old dispatcher, repeatedly told him to throw the car into neutral but got no answers.

"He was very emotional, you could tell on the line he was panicked," Parks told reporters outside the CHP's El Cajon office. "I could only imagine being in his shoes and being that stressed."

Neibert told Sikes after the CHP caught up with him to shift to neutral but the driver shook his head no. Sikes told reporters he didn't go into neutral because he worried the car would flip.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: jamessikes; prius; toyota; warontoyota
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To: twigs
"if you’re stuck at 80 / 90 mph. "

Will a Prius even DO 80/90 mph?
21 posted on 03/10/2010 6:43:37 AM PST by FrankR (Those of us who love AMERICA far outnumber those who love obama - your choice.)
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To: USCG SimTech
"all people lie. All people are devious"

Speak for yourself.....

22 posted on 03/10/2010 6:44:22 AM PST by sniper63 (Bang,Bang, Maxwell's Silver hammer........)
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To: twigs

ISN’T IT ILLEGAL TO USE A CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING IN CALIFORNIA?...................


23 posted on 03/10/2010 6:44:59 AM PST by Red Badger (Education makes people easy to lead, difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.)
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To: justlurking
Prius advertisement: "Toyoto Prius Hybrid - Harmony between Man, Nature and Machine".

Oh, retch.

This driver had to be an idiot liberal to begin with.

Leni

24 posted on 03/10/2010 6:45:02 AM PST by MinuteGal (Bill O'Reilly: 9/8/09: "Communism is not a threat to us anymore"-10/20/09: "Obama is not a Marxist")
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To: FrankR
Will a Prius even DO 80/90 mph?

Only the ones with the special secret software programming in the computer controls, apparently..............

25 posted on 03/10/2010 6:45:56 AM PST by Red Badger (Education makes people easy to lead, difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.)
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To: justlurking

All people don’t lie, LIBERALS lie. I think this story stinks! He’s either stupid, a liar, or both. Oh wait, I did say he was a liberal so I’m repeating myself.


26 posted on 03/10/2010 6:46:25 AM PST by politicalmerc (Statistics don't lie but liars sure use statistics!)
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To: Hodar
That would be my first inclination. Popping into neutral would cause the engine to over RPM, and potentially destroy the engine - turning the ignition off simply shuts the engine down ... something that is inherently obvious to me.

Modern engines have governors that limit the RPM. The engine will make a big racket, but it won't go over the red-line.

However, given a choice between a crash at 90 mph and destroying the engine... I'll always take the latter.

Earlier, I was asking why he waited until the car slowed to 55 to turn off the ignition. The dispatcher makes it very clear: the driver was paniced.

27 posted on 03/10/2010 6:46:46 AM PST by justlurking (The only remedy for a bad guy with a gun is a good WOMAN (Sgt. Kimberly Munley) with a gun)
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To: justlurking

This is what happens when an entire car (or country) is run with a central processor. It’s hard to put on the brakes or shift into neutral when the thing gets out of control.


28 posted on 03/10/2010 6:46:50 AM PST by SlowBoat407 (Anyone can fib. It takes an intellectual to tell a really big lie.)
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To: Hodar

You have to put it in neutral and slow down or better yet stop before you shut off the engine.

If you shut off the ignition, the steering wheel will lock when you turn it and it will be a LOT harder to stop without power to the brakes.

Your life is in danger at this point. Blowing the engine should be the least of your worries. If you still have your wits about you and it starts to rev too high, put it in the highest gear you’ve got. 5th or 6th in a manual or 3rd in an automatic.


29 posted on 03/10/2010 6:47:18 AM PST by perfect_rovian_storm (The worst is behind us. Unfortunately it is really well endowed.)
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To: justlurking

‘I thought it was useful to post this, after all the discussion on previous threads about “why didn’t he ....?”’

And apparently the answer is that he is a moron, who probably shouldn’t be allowed to drive anything larger or more powerful than a shopping cart, or maybe a scooter.


30 posted on 03/10/2010 6:47:46 AM PST by -YYZ- (Strong like bull, smart like ox.)
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To: autumnraine

Intellegence of Prius drivers on display.

31 posted on 03/10/2010 6:47:55 AM PST by Red Badger (Education makes people easy to lead, difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.)
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To: devere
We are all creatures of habit, and most of us have no habit of shifting into neutral, just using the brakes and accelerator. Hindsight is 20-20.

If you can't think beyond using the brakes and accelerator, you shouldn't be driving a car on public roads.

32 posted on 03/10/2010 6:48:06 AM PST by justlurking (The only remedy for a bad guy with a gun is a good WOMAN (Sgt. Kimberly Munley) with a gun)
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To: FrankR
Will a Prius even DO 80/90 mph?

Hah, the scariest place on an interstate in Silicon Valley is in front of a Prius when you're going "only" 10 MPH over the speed limit.

33 posted on 03/10/2010 6:48:15 AM PST by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: justlurking

The man doesn’t know much about cars. On the freeway I was almost pushed off the road by some guy who wasn’t paying any attention to what he was doing. I slammed on my breaks to keep from getting hit, only to have the engine die on me. I shifted into neutral while still moving, started the car and kept going.


34 posted on 03/10/2010 6:48:43 AM PST by MsLady (If you died tonight, where would you go? Salvation, don't leave earth without it!)
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To: RushIsMyTeddyBear

This story doesn’t pass the smell test to me.

Does this?..........

35 posted on 03/10/2010 6:49:02 AM PST by Red Badger (Education makes people easy to lead, difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.)
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To: justlurking

If I were king I would ban automatic transmissions and many of the “safety” features on cars. A self preservation instinct goes a long way.


36 posted on 03/10/2010 6:49:08 AM PST by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin!)
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To: justlurking

He was trying to talk on the cell phone and “control the car”. He didn’t have time to shift or slow down.


37 posted on 03/10/2010 6:49:16 AM PST by mbynack (Retired USAF SMSgt)
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To: RushIsMyTeddyBear

This story doesn’t pass the smell test to me.

Does this?..........

38 posted on 03/10/2010 6:49:16 AM PST by Red Badger (Education makes people easy to lead, difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave.)
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To: justlurking
Car flipping. Happens all the time in racing.


39 posted on 03/10/2010 6:49:19 AM PST by McGruff (Don't criticize. Explain to me who I should support other than Sarah Palin.)
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To: Hodar
Popping into neutral would cause the engine to over RPM, and potentially destroy the engine - turning the ignition off simply shuts the engine down ... something that is inherently obvious to me.

All of these new computer controlled cars have rev limiters to prevent the over revving of the engine. He'd have been better off to keep power (for brakes, steering, etc.) and just slam it into neutral.

40 posted on 03/10/2010 6:49:50 AM PST by IYAS9YAS (The townhalls were going great until the oPods showed up.)
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