The Cooper Firm

Yesterday, Toyota held a “demonstration” to challenge the beliefs that a car’s electronics could cause the gas pedal to stick. How did that go? Let’s see…

Yesterday, James Sikes was driving his 2008 Prius along Interstate 8 in El Cajon, California when the vehicle accelerated and wouldn't stop. “I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny . . . it jumped and it just stuck there," Sikes, 61, said during a news conference. "As it was going, I was trying the brakes . . . it wasn't stopping." Mr. Sikes said he was practically standing on the brakes but the Prius kept going.

CHP Patrol Officer Landeros caught up to the Prius and yelled to Mr. Sikes via a loudspeaker to apply his emergency brake in tandem with the brake pedal. Officer Landeros commented, "He was reaching speeds over 90 miles per hour."

Once the Prius' speed dropped to about 50 mph, Sikes turned off the engine and was able to coast to a stop.

A Toyota spokesman said Monday evening that the company was sending a representative to investigate the cause of the incident. (OF COURSE YOU ARE)

"We're sending a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the car and find out what happened," Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said. "We won't be able to comment on what any possible problems with the car were until we take a look at the car."

So, I ask again, how did those demonstrations go? Who do you believe, a corporate engineer hired to save Toyota, who is standing to lose their multimillion dollar business or your average 61 year old Joe (James to be exact) who just went on the trip of his life courtesy of Toyota!