An out-of-control Toyota Prius was brought to a halt today in San Diego by a California Highway Patrol car putting itself in front of it like a brake. According to the CHP, the car suffered from a stuck accelerator.The driver of the runaway Toyota Prius called CHP while driving eastbound on Interstate 8 near San Diego around 1:30 PM PST, screaming about a stuck accelerator and being unable to shift the car into neutral. California Highway Patrol responded, putting a patrol car in front of the Prius, eventually stopping the car near La Posta Bridge. This high-profile incident comes on the same day Toyota made a similarly high-profile defense of its cars.
In response, Toyota has dispatched
a technical specialist to investigate the problem. Toyota
claims:
"[They] learned of a report that a California Highway Patrol (CHP) unit was dispatched in response to a 911 call from a motorist driving a Prius on Interstate 8 in San Diego County who said the accelerator pedal was stuck. The report states that the CHP unit slowed in front of the vehicle and acted as a brake to bring it to a stop. Toyota has dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the report and offer assistance."