Runaway 2009 Lexus ES fiery crash kills family of 4
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From: john on 17 Sep 2009 02:41 So watch those mats! "Toyota said Tuesday it will order all dealers to inspect their cars for mismatched floor mats after a mat was suspected of snagging a gas pedal on a runaway Lexus, ending with a fiery crash that killed four family members in San Diego County. Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc. planned to issue an order Wednesday to about 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealers nationwide to make sure each of their new, used and loaner vehicles had the proper floor mats and that the mats were properly secured, said Brian Lyons, a spokesman for the Torrance-based company. Customers who are concerned should also make sure they have the proper mats. "If there's any doubt in their mind about the security and shape of their mat, go ahead and visit the dealer" to have them checked, Lyons said. California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, 45, and three others were killed Aug. 28 on State Route 125 in Santee, a town near San Diego. The runaway car was doing more than 120 mph when it hit a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames. The SUV driver was treated for moderate injuries. In addition to Saylor, who was a 19-year CHP veteran, the crash killed his wife, Cleofe, 45; their daughter, Mahala, 13; and Saylor's brother- in-law, Chris Lastrella, 38. Lastrella made a 911 call about a minute before the crash to say the vehicle had no brakes and the accelerator was stuck. The call ends with someone telling people in the car to hold on and pray, followed by a woman's scream. The family was in a 2009 Lexus ES 350 that was loaned by a dealer while their own vehicle was being serviced. Investigators with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was a couple of inches longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle. That could have snared or covered the accelerator pedal. "We don't know if the all-weather floor mat was properly secured or not," he said. "We do know that it was a floor mat from a different Lexus." Lyons said most Toyotas come with carpeted floor mats, but all-weather mats are sold as accessories. The driver could have put the car in neutral to disengage the engine from the automatic transmission, Lyons said. The driver also could have turned off the electronically keyed car by holding down the start switch for three seconds, but that could have locked the steering wheel, turned off the headlights and cut power- assist to the brakes, Lyons said. Lyons said the company had not had any complaints about mismatched floor mats. In 2007, the company did recall all-weather mats from some of its Lexus ES 350s and Toyota Camrys after complaints that they could slip and trap the accelerator. However, this crash was unrelated to the mats that were pulled from the market during the recall, Lyons said. " http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090916/AUTO01/909160398/1148/auto01/Mismatched+floor+mat+may+have+caused+deadly+SoCal+crash++Toyota+orders+inspections
From: Mike on 17 Sep 2009 10:14 I'm no Toyota fanatic but that story sounds fishy to me. I the first place what Toyota can reach 120 MPH, except while going down a mountain? In the second place EVERY vehicle has more brake HP than engine HP. If you doubt that floor the throttle on YOUR vehicle and apply the foot brake with you left foot and take note of what happens. ;) "john" <johngdole(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1d58c26c-4867-4f04-bad0-9d40b1fbf606(a)b25g2000prb.googlegroups.com... > So watch those mats! > > "Toyota said Tuesday it will order all dealers to inspect their cars > for mismatched floor mats after a mat was suspected of snagging a gas > pedal on a runaway Lexus, ending with a fiery crash that killed four > family members in San Diego County. > > Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc. planned to issue an order Wednesday to > about 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealers nationwide to make sure each of > their new, used and loaner vehicles had the proper floor mats and that > the mats were properly secured, said Brian Lyons, a spokesman for the > Torrance-based company. > > Customers who are concerned should also make sure they have the proper > mats. > > "If there's any doubt in their mind about the security and shape of > their mat, go ahead and visit the dealer" to have them checked, Lyons > said. > > California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, 45, and three others > were killed Aug. 28 on State Route 125 in Santee, a town near San > Diego. The runaway car was doing more than 120 mph when it hit a sport > utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and > burst into flames. > > The SUV driver was treated for moderate injuries. > > In addition to Saylor, who was a 19-year CHP veteran, the crash killed > his wife, Cleofe, 45; their daughter, Mahala, 13; and Saylor's brother- > in-law, Chris Lastrella, 38. > > Lastrella made a 911 call about a minute before the crash to say the > vehicle had no brakes and the accelerator was stuck. > > The call ends with someone telling people in the car to hold on and > pray, followed by a woman's scream. > > The family was in a 2009 Lexus ES 350 that was loaned by a dealer > while their own vehicle was being serviced. > > Investigators with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have > determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage > was a couple of inches longer than the mat that belonged in the > vehicle. > > That could have snared or covered the accelerator pedal. > > "We don't know if the all-weather floor mat was properly secured or > not," he said. "We do know that it was a floor mat from a different > Lexus." > > Lyons said most Toyotas come with carpeted floor mats, but all-weather > mats are sold as accessories. > > The driver could have put the car in neutral to disengage the engine > from the automatic transmission, Lyons said. > > The driver also could have turned off the electronically keyed car by > holding down the start switch for three seconds, but that could have > locked the steering wheel, turned off the headlights and cut power- > assist to the brakes, Lyons said. > > Lyons said the company had not had any complaints about mismatched > floor mats. > > In 2007, the company did recall all-weather mats from some of its > Lexus ES 350s and Toyota Camrys after complaints that they could slip > and trap the accelerator. > > However, this crash was unrelated to the mats that were pulled from > the market during the recall, Lyons said. " > > http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090916/AUTO01/909160398/1148/auto01/Mismatched+floor+mat+may+have+caused+deadly+SoCal+crash++Toyota+orders+inspections > >
From: hls on 17 Sep 2009 09:12 "john" <johngdole(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1d58c26c-4867-4f04-bad0-9d40b1fbf606(a)b25g2000prb.googlegroups.com... > So watch those mats! > > "Toyota said Tuesday it will order all dealers to inspect their cars > for mismatched floor mats after a mat was suspected of snagging a gas > pedal on a runaway Lexus, ending with a fiery crash that killed four > family members in San Diego County. Both of our Toyotas came with special floor mats that attach to the floor with hooks, to keep the mats from creeping upward and bunching up around the brake and accelerator pedals. I suspect the Lexuses have similar mat hold-downs. I put some aftermarket protector mats in both cars (Walmart, but nice looking) and find that one of the sets works fine, doesnt creep, but the other does creep up and is a potential cause of problems. Word to the wise is to deal with this before you have a problem
From: a on 17 Sep 2009 10:58 Mike wrote: > I'm no Toyota fanatic but that story sounds fishy to me. > > I the first place what Toyota can reach 120 MPH, except while going down a > mountain? > > In the second place EVERY vehicle has more brake HP than engine HP. I think you have an errant view on what brake horsepower is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsepower#Brake_horsepower Plus, plenty of Toyotas have top speeds rated above 120MPh, but the Lexus ES quoted in the article can do north of 140MPh. a
From: Jeff Strickland on 17 Sep 2009 12:39
"john" <johngdole(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1d58c26c-4867-4f04-bad0-9d40b1fbf606(a)b25g2000prb.googlegroups.com... > > The driver could have put the car in neutral to disengage the engine > from the automatic transmission, Lyons said. > > The driver also could have turned off the electronically keyed car by > holding down the start switch for three seconds, but that could have > locked the steering wheel, turned off the headlights and cut power- > assist to the brakes, Lyons said. > Here is a serious problem, if true. The car should not lock the steering until after Park is selected. If a car starts to go out of control full-throttle, it is a natural instinct (at least for me) to cut power to the engine and deal with the rest of the issues as they come up. If the Ignition has a RUN and LOCK, but no OFF (where the engine is not running, but the steering is not locked), then I see this as a very serious safety flaw. I had my car suffer a serious engine problem many years ago and I did not have enough towing service to get it home. I set the ignition to off and the transmission ot N, and coasted for something like 7 miles down a two-lane mountain road. If my car had been a Lexus, I would not be able to do that because the steering is locked. The grade was no very steep, just enough to keep the car going. There are lots of safety issues with coasting a car for 7 miles, but hey, young and foolish is often the road to old and wise. This story strikes me as odd though. I have very limited experience here, but I have always thought that the brakes on a car should be able to bring a car to a stop, or at least to a more managable speed. I am also baffled by the report that the driver was a CHP officer, but that he could not control the car by selecting N. I'm sure that such an action would in all likelihood be fatal for the engine IF the gas pedal was indeed stuck, but a fatality for the machine is far better than the four fatalities of people. |