A California Highway Patrol Officer helped avert tragedy yesterday after yet another Toyota Prius underwent a sudden acceleration that left the driver panicked for help. 61-year-old Prius owner James Sikes found himself at the mercy of his runaway Prius after accelerating to pass another vehicle on I-8 in San Diego County.
As his vehicle sped up, Mr. Sikes pressed on the brake pedals so hard he could smell them burning, but his vehicle continued to speed up. After calling 911, Sikes was provided assistance by a patrol car that pulled alongside him. The officers instructed Mr. Sikes to use his emergency brake as well as push his brake pedal to the floor.
After the car slowed down to 50 miles per hour, Mr. Sikes was instructed to turn off the engine and the Prius coasted to a stop. Toyota vehicles have been under heavy scrutiny with more than 8.5 million vehicles being recalled due to numerous dangerous defects.
