Toyota Settles Lawsuit in Infamous Crash

In what is largely considered the starting point of Toyota’s recall nightmare of the past year, the automaker has settled a lawsuit with relatives of an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer who was killed, along with his wife, his 13-year-old daughter and his brother, when his loaner Lexus ES 350 raced at speeds up to 120 mph on a California freeway. The crash occurred in August 2009.

The 911 call from that incident focused an intense spotlight on the issue of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles. However, recent reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have suggested that many other reported cases of unintended acceleration were the result of driver error.

Toyota declined to say how much the settlement was for. The automaker recalled nearly 8 million vehicles for accelerator issues, covering both loose floormats and stuck pedals.

Toyota Settles Over California Deaths (New York Times)

Comments

"California Highway Patrol officer" didn't know how to shift car into neutral and use emergency brake. It is in driver manual, actually. But he knew how to call 911! Sounds like Americans becoming dumb.

Wow you were insulting when this first happened and you are insulting now. Keep your comments to yourself if you intend to just tell how us how dumb we supposedly are.

Americans in their quest to make money will do anything, even kill themselves.

You can always spot the Troll as their quick to take the bait.

I dont want to insult anyone here but a cop should know how to stop a car but what is done is done and well its sad he and his family died

We'll never know why he didn't throw the car into N or P or literally stand on the brake pedal. I can only assume he had his hands full trying to control the car given the high rate of speed. A tragic accident nonetheless.

becarefuldon't ;et your family or friends specially if they have kids, buying Mercedes Benz model cls 500 or cls 550. car a death trap if you don't blieve me look it up. Mercedes still denied it's safe
brenohaire cesar
vs mercedes benz at the mass superior court cane no 07-2226e- email me back let me know what you think brunodreads@hotmail.com

I wana get the word out there for everyone to know tell someone you know that drive a mercedes benz you think toyota was bad well this is one is just kep quiet.

Well done Toyota.
After the recall of millions of car, Toyota have been able to settle Lawsuit to make well use. I'm sure this addition of Toyota will make it more popular.

Darwin's Award is awaiting for the Highway Patrol whose obviously did not train well enough on how to manage and control a vehicle!

He could dial and use a cell phone but can't put a car in neutral? He shouldn't have been driving in the first place. It was probably driver error to begin with since he can't even stop the car.