Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Man at Wheel of 'Out-of-Control' Prius Has Troubled Financial Past
FOX News ^ | March 12, 2010 | Staff

Posted on 03/12/2010 2:18:23 PM PST by raptor22

The man who became the face of the Toyota gas pedal scandal this week has a troubled financial past that is leading some to question whether he was wholly truthful in his story.

On Monday, James Sikes called 911 to report that he was behind the wheel of an out-of-control Toyota Prius going 94 mph on a freeway near San Diego. Twenty-three minutes later, a California Highway Patrol officer helped guide him to a stop, a rescue that was captured on videotape.

Since then, it's been learned that:

— Sikes filed for bankruptcy in San Diego in 2008. According to documents, he was more than $700,000 in debt and owed roughly $19,000 on his Prius;

— In 2001, Sikes filed a police report with the Merced County Sheriff's Department

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: hoax; jamesdikes; jamessikes; prius; toyota; toyotahoax; warontoyota
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

1 posted on 03/12/2010 2:18:23 PM PST by raptor22
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: raptor22

I knew this man’s claim was bogus the minute I heard about it.


2 posted on 03/12/2010 2:22:38 PM PST by historyrepeatz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raptor22
I predict a troubled financial future as well.


3 posted on 03/12/2010 2:26:03 PM PST by GalaxieFiveHundred
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raptor22

Check the system out on the car—that will tell the truth.


4 posted on 03/12/2010 2:27:42 PM PST by Burkean (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raptor22

Check the system out on the car—that will tell the truth.


5 posted on 03/12/2010 2:27:43 PM PST by Burkean (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raptor22

“Easy Money!”


6 posted on 03/12/2010 2:29:53 PM PST by Travis McGee (---www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com---)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raptor22

Actually, I assumed something like this when I heard it. It just didn’t make much sense.


7 posted on 03/12/2010 2:34:11 PM PST by WHBates
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Burkean

...Yeah...Toyota have a mystery “black box” installed ...so they can get a detailed print out of what happened...or not.


8 posted on 03/12/2010 2:34:43 PM PST by spokeshave (They'll get my false teeth when they pry them from my sister's cold, dead mouth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: raptor22

The government takes over GM, the #1 car company (Toyota) becomes a safety danger. Government motors sales increase. A coincidence? I think not....


9 posted on 03/12/2010 2:36:47 PM PST by Fu-fu2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raptor22
The network news has once again been Heened.

10 posted on 03/12/2010 2:37:42 PM PST by TSgt (RE-ELECT NOBODY - VOTE THEM ALL OUT!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: historyrepeatz

Me too.


11 posted on 03/12/2010 2:46:17 PM PST by stormer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: raptor22

Hahahaha! I knew nobody could be so stupid as not to realize that the car will stop if you turn off the ignition, or whatever the key is in a Prius. What a freaking moron.


12 posted on 03/12/2010 2:54:36 PM PST by webheart (I am a Sarah fan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: webheart
knew nobody could be so stupid as not to realize that the car will stop if you turn off the ignition,

Actually all you have to do is put the car in neutral and steer it to the side of the road and THEN turn off the ignition. Otherwise it is very hard to steer the car with the power assist steering off.

I understand that the 911 operator was telling him to do this but got no response. This whole thing is bogus. This guy was looking for his 15 minutes of fame and a payoff from Toyota is my guess.

13 posted on 03/12/2010 3:04:11 PM PST by mc5cents
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: raptor22

>Prius

Somebody misspelled “Alar”.


14 posted on 03/12/2010 3:07:26 PM PST by ForegoneAlternative (The cost of anything is...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: raptor22

LITERALLY ONE MINUTE AGO on the radio, a news story about Toyota eager to do their own investigation into this ‘incident’. The story printed here repeats the simple fact that the guy , presumably out of fear, did NOT turn the ignition off, or put it into neutral, though he was told to. What’s reported here of the guy’s troubled financial past does not in and of itself damn him, but it’s all of a piece. It is merely beginner-level profiling to put all the pieces together on this guy , and realize he’s a con artist with visions of big bucks coming as a settlement for all his ‘emotional stress.’
This can only help Toyota, which may wind up being a GOOD thing, since the Zero Administration would like nothing better than to have leverage over Toyota , and try to put them right into the same camp as Government Motors (GM).
Lots of people are coming to the defense of Toyota this week also, with or without punching up the Obama angle; either way , they deserve more measured consideration than
they’re getting. And I am saying that as someone who had a Toyota Avalon for 14 years and 210,000 troublefree miles.


15 posted on 03/12/2010 3:10:47 PM PST by supremedoctrine ("Every election is like an advance auction sale of stolen goods"--H.L.Mencken)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: historyrepeatz; All

The government has killed more Americans than the government has been accused of by forcing them into smaller cars: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2468420/posts


16 posted on 03/12/2010 3:24:18 PM PST by raptor22 (The truth will set us free)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: historyrepeatz
I thought he was pulling a scam when I saw an interview with him which I think occurred at the scene. He just had "shifty eyes" - by which I mean he kept looking to the right and left, or even down, but never straight at the interviewer or the camera.

Because of my upbeat nature, I'm kind of on the gullible side, so I use body language to try to discern if someone is lying or not. It's usually helpful, too.

Mrs. Prince of Space

17 posted on 03/12/2010 3:54:30 PM PST by Prince of Space ("Hi Mom!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: raptor22

This guy’s a liar. There are numerous ways to stop a car. Everyone will be blaming toyota for their own crap now


18 posted on 03/12/2010 3:59:43 PM PST by plain talk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Fu-fu2

Have you heard the new Chevy radio ads? They go something like, “We used to own a Toyota...yadda yadda....but simply can’t trust our family to anything but Chevy now.”

I almost drove off the road.


19 posted on 03/12/2010 4:58:06 PM PST by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: historyrepeatz

I agree. And couldn’t Sikes just turn the key off or shift the gear into neutral? That was my first thought! He’s gotta be a demoRAT, especially with this latest news!


20 posted on 03/12/2010 5:50:11 PM PST by rcrngroup
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-27 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson