Runaway Prius Stopped in Nick of Time

(CBS/AP)  A California highway police officer helped slow a runaway Toyota Prius from 94 mph to a safe stop on Monday after the car's accelerator became stuck on a freeway near San Diego, authorities said.

Prius driver James Sikes said that the incident Monday occurred just two weeks after he had taken the vehicle in to an El Cajon dealership for repairs after receiving a recall notice, but he was turned away.

"I gave them my recall notice and they handed it back and said I'm not on the recall list," Sikes said.

This latest incident comes as Toyota fired back at critics after weeks of apologies. The company is now using its own scientists to demonstrate that electronics are not the source of unintended acceleration, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports.

Toyota has dispatched a field technical specialist to investigate the latest incident, according to a statement, Tracy reports.

Toyota has recalled some 8.5 million vehicles worldwide - more than 6 million in the United States - since last fall because of acceleration problems in multiple models and braking issues in the Prius.

On Monday, Sikes called 911 about 1:30 p.m. after accelerating to pass another vehicle on Interstate 8 near La Posta and finding that he could not control his car, the California Highway Patrol said.

"I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny ... it jumped and it just stuck there," the 61-year-old driver said at a news conference.

"As it was going, I was trying the brakes ... it wasn't stopping, it wasn't doing anything and it just kept speeding up," Sikes said, adding he could smell the brakes burning he was pressing the pedal so hard.

A patrol car pulled alongside the Prius and officers told Sikes over a loudspeaker to push the brake pedal to the floor and apply the emergency brake.

"They also got it going on a steep upgrade," said Officer Jesse Udovich. "Between those three things, they got it to slow down."

After the car decelerated to about 50 mph, Sikes turned off the engine and coasted to a halt.

The officer then maneuvered his car in front of the Prius as a precautionary block, Udovich said.

Toyota owners have complained of their vehicles speeding out of control despite efforts to slow down, sometimes resulting in deadly crashes. The government has received complaints of 34 deaths linked to sudden acceleration of Toyota vehicles since 2000.

One of the crashes claimed the life of a CHP officer in August.

Off-duty CHP Officer Mark Saylor was killed along with his wife, her brother and the couple's daughter after their Lexus' accelerator got stuck in La Mesa.

The Toyota-manufactured loaner vehicle slammed into a sport utility vehicle at about 100 mph, careened off the freeway, hit an embankment, overturned and burst into flames.

More on Toyota's Troubles:

Toyota Fires Away at Acceleration Theory
House Panel Seeks Details on Toyota Recall
New Reports of Post-Recall Toyota Troubles
No Fix? Trouble with Some Repaired Toyotas
Senate Committee Members' Toyota Links
NYT: Troubles Predate Recalled Toyotas
Poll: 49% Say Toyota Hiding Something

[wiseoldlady]

There are two problems with the Prius, the acceleration problem AND putting the into Neutral. I drive my spouses prius about twice a month. One day I took to it the automatic car wash. I nor the car wash attendant could get the car to go into neutral. After a dozen tries I finally figured out you have to HOLD the stick in the neutral position for a second or two before it engages neutral! It is a spring loaded stick and batting, pushing, hitting it left DOES NOT ENGAGE NEUTRAL! And it should!
If you hit it left and let the shifter spring back to its resting position, the computer SHOULD put the car into neutral but it DOES NOT do that.

[parkfisher]

Just a little fishy that Toyota turned this guy away saying that his car is not one of the defectives, just to magically have his throttle stick. I think he's looking to create a false lawsuit hoping for a settlement. And for CRYIN' OUT LOUD, if your not smart enough to put your car in neutral when somethings not right then you shouldn't be driving let alone making phone calls. What a load of crap. And why didn't the CHP think to tell him to put it in neutral. Maybe if the media would tell these idiots to use the big "N" on the shifter this we wouldn't have to worry about someone going 90 mph with one hand on their phone the other on the E brake, every time we pass by a toyota.

[shankopotamus]

What a waste of energy. The energy saved by all the Prius in the world has been expended on this HOAX. If he could not fine neutral on his transmission (will not harm engine) he should have his drivers license taken away.

[bschuske]

Absolutely! If you don?t completely understand your vehicle, you have no business driving one.

[aletiaco]

I think theres a better chance that someone was traveling at excessive speeds and spotted a highway patrolman and took advantage of a current situation that Toyota has...

[wheresmycountry]

There isn't a car made with an engine (or electric motor) more powerful than its brakes. It's time for the Mythbusters to save Toyota.

[justsane-2009]

can anyone here say "15 minutes of fame"?

[iirishamerican]

I do an honest job and don't recommend anything it doesn't need. like I said they break a lot, that is why I am here.

[aletiaco]

no brainwash medicine here...facts are facts. If its cars that are unreliable and broken frequently that drives you then you should seek out any gm or ford product. Its pretty sad to know that someone like you is working on anyone's car. You are the example of why people dont trust mechanics.

[unswm]

I agree with the hoax theorists. It is too coincidental that this happened on the same day that Toyota took a stand with its critics. I, too, am waiting for the real story to come out. iirishamerican, I do not believe that you work for Toyota, but if you do, I hope you get fired.

[iirishamerican]

Been here for 10 years not going anywhere because there are plenty of broke down toyotas to fix as we speak, gotta go, be back later.

[17andwiseEnough]

I have been puzzled by this since the whole Toyota situation came out: WHY don't these people put their cars in neutral or simply turn off the ignition when they cannot contol the speed? Many of the cases involved long periods of time with their vehicles operating at high speed- At 17 and as a very novice driver I had an old VW Bug's accelerator cable break and the accelerator was stuck at high speed- in high traffic on the Golden Gate bridge! WHAT do you think I did?? Put the car in neurtal, turn the engine off, press my emergency flashing light button AND apply my hand brake to bring the car to a stop- I was 17! and a very inexperienced driver- IS there some reason the Toyota drives cannot turn off their car?