While attempting to return his truck to Toyota, man's gas pedal sticks, strikes Toyota dealership

[Emit]

What are the odds? :shrug:

Man’s truck strikes BR Toyota dealership
By KATIE KENNEDY
Advocate staff writer
Published: Jan 31, 2010

A man who attempted to return his recalled Toyota pickup truck to All Star Toyota on Airline Highway on Saturday crashed into the dealership building when his allegedly faulty accelerator stuck, the Baton Rouge Police Department reported.

The crash caused extensive damage to the truck involved, but no major injuries were reported, said Lt. Todd G. Lee Sr., chief of administrative services for the Police Department.

Mikel Valviva sought to return his truck to the dealership at 9150 Airline Highway, saying he no longer wanted it because of the recall on the accelerator, Lee said.

The dealership’s manager, Joe Costanza, offered to repair Valviva’s truck and loan him a car in the meantime, Lee said.

Matt McKay, owner of the All Star Automotive Group, said Costanza explained to Valviva on three separate occasions on Saturday that the dealership could not refund his money for the truck.

McKay said the process during the recall requires dealerships to provide a loaner car while the recalled vehicle is repaired.

Valviva refused the offers and tried to leave the dealership, but his gas pedal stuck, Lee said. The truck accelerated forward, striking the building, Lee said.

~snip~

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/83184417.html?index=1&c=y

[LuckyLib]

1. Ha! Accelerated with some heavy pressure from his foot!

[FarCenter]

4. road rage

in the parking lot

[Tesha]

28. I think this one will have a different "root cause" than the real incidents.

And I won't be surprised to see it end in jail time for
the throttle-masher.

Tesha

[FarCenter]

32. It's amazing that some people hear "recall" and think that means their cars wil be bought back

[notadmblnd]

2. ......

:rofl: Oh, the irony, :rofl:

[OhioChick]

3. ....

:rofl:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. OMG!

[Speck Tater]

6. I don't undersatnd people who don't know how to TURN OFF the ignition key and step on the brakes.

If the engine is running away with you, turn off the engine! For crying out loud, how stupid does a person have to be to not be able figure that out?

Or even putting the transmission in neutral averts the crisis. People who can't figure simple solutions like that in an emergency need more driver training. When my dad taught me to drive back in the 60's he constantly drilled me on what to do in one kind of emergency or another, including how to turn of the ignition key and how to put the car in neutral. Those reactions should be second nature.

We live in a nation of morons.

[ecstatic]

14. It sounds like he may not have had enough time though

in such a restricted area, it's probably one of those situations where the damage is already done before you can change anything.

[cherokeeprogressive]

18. Turning the ignition off is not a good idea at all.

When the engine isn't running, the power-assist brakes and the power steering go the way of the dodo. Most power brakes last only a pump or two when the engine is off, and then the pedal gets to be like a rock.

Simply put the transmission in neutral and stand on the brake until the vehicle stops.

You are right in your statement about reactions to emergencies not being second nature. Had it drilled into me too.

[Lance_Boyle]

23. turbo diesel drivers learn to slam the brakes, throw it in 5th and dump the clutch

to stall. Of course, runaway in a turbo diesel is a different beast from what these toyotas are experiencing, but the brake-and-stall is still a much better idea than turning off the ignition and turning your runaway vehicle into an unsteerable, unstoppable missile.

[KittyWampus]

19. I don't understand DU'ers who think life is like typing away on your keyboard into the internets.

We live in a nation of morons, but apparently you are a perfected genius who never makes mistakes, especially not when a crisis occurs.

[Romulox]

30. I think psychologists have shown most purchasers use the internet looking for validation

of purchases they've already made--in other words, they want to know that the purchasing decision they've made is the correct one even after it's made.

So, with that in mind, I think a great deal of the defense of a multinational corp like Toyota which has been caught red handed is, in reality, a way for posters to defend their own purchasing decisions, likely already made.

Thus you get bizarre statements (from another DU thread on the topic) like: "I stand behind Toyota." What does this even mean in the context of the problem? It boggles the mind. My take is that the poster is actually saying, "it's still a positive reflection on one's consumer savvy/intelligence to have purchased a Toyota!"

[Better Believe It]

21. Will this become the standard, normal procedure for stopping a car?

:)

[Lance_Boyle]

22. yeah, 'cuz who needs steering or brakes when their engine is in runaway?

:eyes:

[Realityhack]

33. How far in the article did you read?

It seems unclear as to wither ANY emergency existed at all. Much less what kind of space or time frame was involved to react in. Sometimes hitting a building IS the right course of action... but it seems in this case that there is even money on there being no emergency to recover from.

[Gregorian]

7. How do YOU spell farfegnugen?

Oh my god I can't stop laughing. Suddenly I see Toyotas everywhere like a rabid specie of full throttle animals. Coming to get us!

[ChickMagic]

9. Start at :58

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB-1d9fM3OU

[Gregorian]

11. The killer car episode. Yay!

There's a movie about a killer car. Deborah? Dorothy? I'm too lazy to look it up.

[ChickMagic]

15. Christine

by Stephen King. I like the way the Pythons'
cars open their throttles before killing people.
Like Toyotas.

[Gregorian]

27. Speed Kills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t-vdW4Fcts

Although Elasitca does something good. I'll find it. Here-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCcr9KYps8M


This is weird! The station I'm listening to is doing all car toons, suddenly. KXLU is awesome.

[ChickMagic]

31. You know what's weird?

The Agent Orange song has been on my mind the last
couple of days because I just learned that the guy
I recommended for hire is now going to be my supervisor.
The first part of it sums up my bitterness.

Ah, Elastica! Thanks for that!

[Gregorian]

34. Wow. Your perfect opportunity for going postal.

That hurts.

I almost forgot what having to work with humans was like. God, who does that tune-
Here comes the boss.
Here comes the boss.
Here comes the boss.
KILL!

[ChickMagic]

35. I never said a word to him yesterday

I sat in my office and did nothing but play music devoted
to hatred, revenge, name your poison. Really, really loud.
I got my mad out, but the bitter is still in full swing.

[Gregorian]

12. The killer car episode. Yay!

There's a movie about a killer car. Deborah? Dorothy? I'm too lazy to look it up.

[endless october]

8. this sounds fishy.

warrants further investigation.

[RedCappedBandit]

10. Riight

Guy is either lying or far too uneducated to be operating a motor vehicle.

[FBaggins]

13. That was a really UNCALLED FOR...

...use of the word "or" :-)

[louis-t]

16. Oooooh, kismet.

[Cali_Democrat]

17. I doubt that his gas pedal got stuck

I bet when he realized he couldn't get his money back for the truck, he stepped on the gas pedal, crashed into the building and used the "stuck" gas pedal as an excuse.

[KittyWampus]

20. which is actually quite smart- make Toyota prove it didn't happen.

[Romulox]

29. Extremely so. nt

[Emit]

37. Wonder to what degree Toyota will try to prove it didn't happen

[mdmc]

24. this is how it is done, buckle up, state your demands

and allow the dealership to feel the PR..
Sure the dealership may try to sue him, but I think he will get out of this ok..

[shadowknows69]

25. The Gods have a sense of humor.

[ddeclue]

26. DUZY ALERT!

:rofl:

[Javaman]

36. One would say, "you couldn't write shit like this!"

yeah, you can, but it's just so much better when it happens in real life!!

LOL :rofl:

Sales person: May I help you?

Customer: Yes, I'm returning this toaster, it was recalled due to unpredictable explosions when the toast pops up.

Sales person: have you tried it?

Customer: no, why?

Sales person takes toaster, plugs it in.

Customer slowly steps back.