InfoAnda - Runaway Prius case presents nagging questions

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Google seeks digital rights to Miramax films: report | | 22 November 2010
Tap, trace, doodle: choices abound for phone users | | 18 February 2011
Media Park @ One North to begin Phase 1 development next year | 7 December 2008

Israel faces Arab nuclear pressure at IAEA meetings | | 10 September 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Runaway Prius case presents nagging questions

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America Runaway Prius case presents nagging questions By ELLIOT SPAGAT,Associated Press Writer - Saturday, March 13 Send IM Story Print SAN DIEGO – Investigators are confronted with a series of nagging questions as they try to unravel the case of a California real estate agent who said his Toyota Prius turned into a runaway death trap after the gas pedal became stuck. Why didn't the driver simply throw the transmission into neutral as officers urged him to do? Why didn't a safety mechanism activate that was supposed to cut power to the engine in such situations? And could he have made the story up in pursuit of fame and money? Each question is getting scrutiny from the Internet-consuming public as they question the motives of the driver, a 61-year-old real estate agent named James Sikes. Some skeptics have even invoked the infamous "balloon boy hoax" in expressing doubts about the story. No evidence has emerged to suggest that Sikes was dishonest when he called 911 on Monday to report that the accelerator of his 2008 Prius was jammed during a trip home from his lawyer's office. Sikes and his car emerged unscathed, but the incident has been another major headache for the Japanese automaker amid questions over the safety and reliability of its vehicles. The California Highway Patrol has repeatedly said it has no reason to suspect a hoax. It does not plan to investigate the incident or perform a mechanical inspection because there were no injuries or property damage. Investigators from Toyota and the federal government are also looking into the incident. "There is no factual information that I'm aware of, or the highway patrol is aware of, that would discredit his story," agency spokesman Brian Pennings said Friday. Sikes spoke to throngs of reporters twice this week about his ordeal, but he has not sought out attention or talk show interviews like others have done during their 15 minutes of fame. Pennings said he urged Sikes to speak with reporters the first time, on Monday, after the white-knuckled journey down Interstate 8 to avoid getting besieged later by the media. And a law firm representing Sikes during the investigation said its client does not intend to take legal action against the automaker. Doubters have asked why Sikes didn't put the car in neutral as a California Highway Patrol dispatcher and an officer repeatedly urged him to do. Sikes said he considered going into neutral but worried he might go into reverse or flip. "I had never played with this kind of transmission, especially when you're driving, and I was actually afraid to do that," he said Tuesday. "I was afraid to do anything out of the normal." Toyota has said all Priuses are equipped with a computer system that cuts power to the wheels if the brake and gas pedals are depressed at the same time, as Sikes was doing. "It's tough for us to say if we're skeptical. I'm mystified in how it could happen with the brake override system," Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales, said Thursday. Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing at Edmunds.com, an auto information Web site, said the brake-override system worked fine on his 2004 Prius at about 70 mph. He also shifted into neutral and reverse at those speeds, "Yawn" he wrote Friday. "This was not difficult." But Raj Rajkumar, an electrical and computer-engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who studies auto electronics, said the Prius could still have acceleration malfunctions even with the fail-safe system. Toyota says the fail-safe and the engine are controlled by a central computer that contains two independent microprocessors that communicate and must agree with each other. If there's a disagreement, power would be cut to the wheels. But Rajkumar said the two engine control unit microprocessors could still receive common erroneous signals from sensors or experience software errors that could cause the throttle and the fail-safe mechanism to malfunction. Sikes came to a stop after a Highway Patrol officer blared instructions from a loudspeaker, telling him to push the brake pedal to the floor while applying the emergency brake. Sikes apparently did this, allowing him to slow the car to 50 mph and shut off the engine. At one point during the 911 call, the dispatcher asks if he can press the ignition button for five seconds and she gets no response. Sikes said later that he struggled to hold the phone and keep his hands on the wheel. Todd Neibert, the officer who gave instructions to Sikes over a loudspeaker, said he smelled burning brakes when he caught up with the Prius. He examined the car when it came to a stop. "The brakes were definitely down to hardly any material," he told reporters. "There was a bunch of brake material on the ground and inside the wheels." Sikes said afterward that he was "embarrassed" by the incident, suggesting that he wished he would have handled it differently. "I'm just embarrassed about that," he said. "You have to be there. That's all I can say." Kurt Bardella, a spokesman for Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said Friday that investigators are best positioned to determine if there was a hoax, but no evidence has emerged. A representative of Issa's office was at a California Toyota dealership when investigators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Toyota examined Sikes' blue Prius on Wednesday and Thursday. "Where are these suggestions coming from?" he said. "It would be irresponsible to assert it's a hoax without having facts." Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA administrator, said Sikes' refusal to shift to neutral, is understandable. "It's such a horrifying experience to be completely out of control," she said. "It's the kind of thing you dream about when you're really upset and you wake up in sweats." The same firm handling Sikes' case also represents the family of California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, which sued Toyota last week in San Diego Superior Court. Saylor was killed in August along with his wife, her brother and the couple's daughter after their Lexus accelerator became trapped by a wrong-size floor mat on a freeway in La Mesa, near San Diego. Their loaner car hit a sport utility vehicle and burst into flames. Neither representatives of the firm nor Sikes responded to phone messages seeking comment Friday. Claybrook, the former federal administrator, noted that drivers often come under heavy scrutiny for reporting unintended acceleration. "Attacking the driver has long been the answer that not just Toyota, but the entire industry, has had," she said. "Blaming the driver is old hat." ___ AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher in Troy, Mich., contributed to this report. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Putin visit seals arms, nuke deals with India AFP - 1 hour 1 minute ago US woman held in Ireland in plot to kill cartoonist AFP - 1 hour 18 minutes ago Wall Street faces Fed meeting with momentum AFP - 1 hour 29 minutes ago Texas ed board vote reflects far-right influences AP - Saturday, March 13 Al-Qaida suspect from NJ worked at 6 nuke plants AP - Saturday, March 13 News Search Top Stories Wall Street faces Fed meeting with momentum Obama eyes Fed picks in central bank revamp US retail sales beat blizzards with surprise rise British Airways flies into pre-Easter strike Prince Philip in strip club gaffe More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended 'Britain's Fritzl' raped daughters for over 25yrs Prince Philip in strip club gaffe Stolen Swiss bank data at HSBC hits 24,000 clients Climate change pushing bird species 'towards extinction:' US $657mln deal for sick Ground Zero workers More Most Viewed » Chile quake moved Earth's axis, shortened days: scientist Experts confirm asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs Florida killer whale to stay in park after deadly attack 'Britain's Fritzl' raped daughters for over 25yrs Researchers back cancer-fighting properties of papaya More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Saturday, 13 March 2010
Turkey warns Sweden of damage to ties over 'genocode' vote
Media heavyweights spar over charging for news online
Sarkozy lauds British PM ahead of election
German Church apologizes, vows action on abuse |
US-TECH Summary
Prince Philip in strip club gaffe
U.N.'s Ban to return to earthquake-devastated Haiti |
Nokia trims share of larger handset market
Sickened WTC Rescue Workers Agree To $657 Million Settlement
Nokia, Apple seek patent trial in 2 years
Dot Dot Dot Bring High-Energy Shows To Florida On Current Tour
China warns Google as Internet row deal seen soon
US retail sales rise despite blizzards
Shoppers Brave Weather, Push Retail Sales Higher In February
Russia dismisses U.S. human rights report |
Nokia trims share of larger handset market
U.S. Wants Loggerhead Turtles Added To Endangered List
Michelle Obama to Mexico on first official solo trip
Schizophrenia Risks For Baby Increased If Mother Has Flu During Pregnancy
Nokia, Apple seek patent trial in 2 years
Turner Classic Movies To Celebrate Clint Eastwood's Birthday With Marathon Movie Session
Ex-Bush aide Rove 'proud' of tough interrogation
Senior police officer dies in southern Thai ambush
Meningitis Claims Two School Children In Oklahoma
Study Links R-Rated Movies To Alcohol Use By Adolescents
Japan's Crown Prince visits rhinos in Kenya
Malaysia state probes child marriages: report
UN expert slams 'horrific' abuse in North Korea
Pastor's Wife Dies After Three-Week Religious Fast
'Astonishing' growth in Chinese oil demand: IEA
Paramore To Headline 2010 Honda Civic Tour
Myanmar refugees face grim future in Bangladesh
Nokia trims share of larger handset market |
Chinese zoo blamed for death of 11 Siberian tigers
NGOs in China say threatened by new donor rules
India, Russia sign nuclear agreements
Bosch says to reopen locked Indian unit after pay dispute
Fitch puts Vietnam on ratings watch on dong concerns
India invests $10 bln in IMF notes
Pakistani stocks end at 18-mth high despite bombs
Obama to delay departure for Asia trip
Oil magnate makes huge donation to Swiss museum
Frank museum to display all writings on 50th anniversary
Metallica boosts security for Venezuela concert
Nazi naval relic pits salvage operator against Berlin
Seeking headhunting roots in tribal Taiwan
Custom-designed Jackson furniture up for auction |
U.S. theater stars sing Happy Birthday to Sondheim |
Gaza swimmers hope to make splash at Asia games
Japan mayor hopes to make history with milk bottle, nappies
Rare Tibetan Buddhist shrine goes on display in Washington
India tells topless tourists to cover up in Goa
Gauguin work on sale for 25 million euros at Dutch fair
Christian-Muslim fighting injures 24 in Egypt
Three freed in Ireland after Swedish cartoonist 'plot' arrests
Clinton berates Netanyahu over settlements
Internet body delays decision on .XXX domain name
Clinton berates Netanyahu over settlements |
Iraq PM takes slender lead over rivals, early results show
Pope named in new twist to German paedophile priest furore
US-TECH Summary
Obama eyes Fed picks in central bank revamp
Merkel backs under-fire foreign minister
Reported cyberfraud losses double in 2009: FBI
US retail sales beat blizzards with surprise rise
Red shirt leaders say a million Thais to protest |
Government Report Shows Stimulus Spending Slowed By Staff Shortage
Cybercrime surge pushes 2009 losses to 559 million dollars
N.Korea may join six-party talks in April |
Mexico Wins Praise for Anti-Drug Effort While Corruption Along the Border Continues
U.S. Markets Fall Flat On Confidence, But Finish Week Higher
Apple begins taking iPad orders in US
Netanyahu's position is perilous: U.S. official |
Ann Taylor Swings Q4 Profit On Improved Margins
Bank Of America Boosts Loan Modification Efforts In March
Suicide bomber kills 10 in Pakistan's Swat |
U.S. criticizes Iran for religious persecution |
Texas ed board vote reflects far-right influences
Runaway Prius case presents nagging questions
Al-Qaida suspect from NJ worked at 6 nuke plants
Report: NKorea to rejoin nuclear talks in April
Second U.S. woman probed in plot to kill Swede
Subjugation of women threatens US security: Clinton
Suicide bomber kills 10 in Pakistan's Swat
Health care battle delays Obama Pacific trip
At least 6 killed in Pakistan suicide attack: police
Global minimum and maximum temperatures
Suicide attack in northwest Pakistan kills 5
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Thaksin protesters descend on Thai capital
Indonesian security forces hold anti-terror drills
N.Korea may join six-party talks in April
Apple COO gets $22 million reward as Jobs stand-in |
Pakistani c.bank buys 60.05 bln rupees of govt paper
Reported cyberfraud losses double in 2009: FBI |
Clinton rebukes Israel over settler homes
Phil Spector's lawyers file appeal in murder case
Why the Wonder Girls have Nobody to love
Anti-terror exercises launched in Indonesia
Hong Kong awards to honor Indian actor Bachchan
Public Enemy's Chuck D still fighting the power
Michael Jackson's luxury furniture up for auction
Official probes drugs linked to Corey Haim
Ex-Gov. Blagojevich fights back on new "Apprentice"
Phil Spector's lawyers file appeal in murder case
Machu Picchu to reopen March 29: official
Lions Gate rejects Icahn offer to boost stake
Roto-Rooter takes "Undercover Boss" TV challenge
Custom-designed Jackson furniture up for auction
Woods crash ambulance crew cited domestic violence |
Official probes drugs linked to Corey Haim |
Phil Spector's lawyers file appeal in murder case |
Public Enemy's Chuck D still fighting the power |
Custom-designed Jackson furniture up for auction |
Ex-Gov. Blagojevich fights back on new Apprentice |
Lions Gate rejects Icahn offer to boost stake |
Greek PM hails EU, US support against speculators
Maliki leads key Baghdad vote count
Iraq PM Maliki leads Baghdad, the big election prize |
Russia kills four militants in Dagestan: official
Bomb blast kills six civilians in Afghanistan
Irish police release three over cartoonist plot |
Law Firm Files Half-Million Dollar Claim Against Michael Jackson's Estate
Lady Antebellum Return To #1 On Billboard Albums Chart With "Need You Now"
Christian-Muslim clash in Egypt injures 24 |
Bosnia court indicts Serb for Srebrenica massacre |
Wall Street faces Fed meeting with momentum
Miner Vedanta flouting Indian rules: minister
Vatican says bid to link pope to abuse issue failed |
Thousands expected to mourn death of SoCal teen
NYC: Taxi drivers overcharged riders by $8.3M-plus
Sri Lankan Tamils drop separatist demand
French Navy hands over suspected pirates to Somalia |
US woman held in Ireland in plot to kill cartoonist
Sweden, Turkey jointly denounce genocide vote |
Bomber kills 10 in Pakistan's Swat valley
Suicide attack in northwest Pakistan kills 13
Anti-government protesters head for Thai capital
"Red shirt" leaders say a million Thais to protest
Hunt Set For Wolf Pack That Killed Teacher In Alaska
Suicide attack in northwest Pakistan kills 10
NYC Cabbies Overcharged Passengers By $8.3 Million In 2 Years
Kazakhstan flooding death toll rises to 35
Mom Claims She Killed Son To Save Him From Molestation By Dad, Stepdad
Study Finds Elderly Patients At Risk For Recieving Wrong Medication In ER
Florida Black Chamber Of Commerce & Minority Businesses File Federal Suit Against Florida Alleging Contracting Discrimination
China to bid on US high-speed rail projects
Google 99.9 pct sure to shut China search engine: report |
California sues Toyota for hiding defects
"South Park" takes aim at Tiger Woods
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01