CHP Officer Helps Stop Runaway Toyota Prius

This story just drives me crazy. Why is it so popular? His drivers license should get taken away because he doesn't know how to drive. There were about a million things he could have done. Why couldn't he have simply....shifted the car into neutral. Or why could he not have simply turned the car off? I mean, it's just scary...Thank god I don't drive in California with all the eco-idiots.

Do drivers get brain fades when they have a runaway throttle problem? What is so hard about shifting into neutral? Or even - are they capable of such lofty thoughts - downshifting? How in blazes can a driver with a runaway gas find the time to PHONE, but not have the time or brains to go to neutral? And do any of these knuckleheads even understand why the emergency brake will work when the pedal brake fails?

With all of the media attention regarding stuck accelerators on Toyota vehicles, not once have I seen anything mentioned that if this does happen the driver should shift the car into neutral and then apply the brakes...I'm just saying, seems like common sense to me.

good job CHP....just a question...am I missing something? Is there some kind of neutral "lock out' on these cars?..damn just shift the POS in neutral and stop the car.. shouldn't matter whether it is a push button ignition or key....driving class 101 . stay safe

This is why you need to buy american vehicles. This Japanese junk made cars are nothing. If you take care of a car then it will last. Look at japanese cars when they wreck. people are killed and styrofoam falls out. Nothing more than a coke can on wheels.

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

Why didn't he shut off the engine when it was traveling at high speed? This sounds like a hoax by a person looking for publicity. Another ballon-boy type event.

Do we have any detectives out there in cop land that may think this guy is pulling a fast one?

The guy goes to the Toyota mechanic 2 weeks back because he is concerned about his safety and gets the green light. He then waits 2 weeks to make things look good. He picks today as his day, accelerating his Prius up to 90 MPH, making sure it is not during rush hour so that there is no traffic to get into, and then has the mental focus to be able to dial 911 and make sure that he is on a taped line when he expresses how is thinks he is going to die. Side note: He did not have the mental focus to put the car in neutral or shut it off. The only thing missing is the chest pains and the ambulance ride after his car was stopped. If he files a law suit, there is no way Toyota at this point could fight it. With all the publicity of late, they will have to settle. Put this guy on a polygraph ... I think he just made himself a million bucks the easy way ... with a simple stop at the mechanic and a 911 call.

Who knows each particular situation.....However the last time my throttle stuck my primary thought was not hitting anything....When I did gain control of the situation and put the vehicle in neutral it remained in gear....I then turned off the engine.....By the way.... I was going backwards at the time and my vehicle was a large boat in a marina.....Thrilling never the less and required serious concentration.