Runaway Prius 911 Call Released - Listen here

This is what smells the most to me. Anyone also recall him saying he "reached down to pull the pedal up with his hands" but couldn't? Skilled, let alone flexible and limber enough to do this at 90+ mph, but he doesn't want to put it into neutral, because he'd have to take a hand off the wheel to do *that*?

Yeah, same caveats here as TEM--I could be wrong, I have been before, I will again, I Reserve the Right to be Wrong, , my apologies if I am now, etc. And I do know people will behave in a non-rational way when in full panic mode. So, yeah, I won't rush to judgment, and I hope this thing is fully investigated and gets sorted out. But... Still...

 

Very odd question, but it got me thinking: is the Pirus his or did he "borrow" it out of the blue?

 

The very beginning and end of the 911 tape seem so contrived. At the beginning, he can barely talk, except when asked specifically if his accelerator is stuck, suddenly speaks clearly explaining how he already checked that and it's NOT a stuck accelerator. Then he goes back to incoherent/scared/not going to answer mode most of the next 18 minutes. We can barely hear him, even though, windows are probably closed, and frankly even without speakerphone, my cheap phone can easily pick up my voice clearly-even on the seat next to me-even doing 90MPH in my Prius. When he does speak, it sounds like a sit-com act of someone pretending to have a bad cell phone connection.


Right at the end, from incoherent/phone microphone blocked - to clearly picking up the phone so he can breathe heavily into it-and not speak clearly. At some point, his window has opened, there's a large screech/squeal of tires-AND AT ALMOST THE SAME MOMENT-we clearly hear the officer:;
- Holy Cr*p Sir!
- You Alright? Whoo!
(pause)
- Good job.
Then we hear "other" male 911 operators laughing, and the female 911 operator(sounds like the same who was on the line 20 minutes) says, "Who says Holy Cow?"

I'd be laughing, too, except this really reeks. If there is only one police car and officer present at that moment, where did that other screech come from? Of all the things the officer would say or do when presented with a "terrified" driver who is barely breathing, and not able to speak, asks "You alright?" clearly and then quickly without waiting for a response says "Whoo!"

Why don't we hear the driver speaking(or breathing) at all? Who's holding the cell phone at that point during the call? Why is the officer's voice so clear when the driver's voice does not exist(no breathing/no mumbling) near the end of this recording?

Shouldn't the next thing coming from the officer who is a first responder to someone not speaking or breathing be to provide immediate care, or at least show some more concern. We get a short pause and "Good job"

Listen for yourself - this really reeks.

 

The most bizarre thing in all of this is the fact that he completely ignored the dispatcher's advice for many minutes.

However, I don't think that indicates that this was a hoax. It would have received similar coverage even if it last for 2 minutes, in the absence of a cop.

He does come across as an odd guy, but I am not sure that means this is manufactured.

 

It's leased, supposedly.

My question is, does it have BT handsfree?

 

Compare the "Runaway Prius" 911 call to the "Runaway Lexus" 911 call. The sense of "mortal danger" is missing in the former. It almost sounded like he called 911 because he wanted the CHP to show up (as a witness?), rather than urgently wanting to stop.

 

http://10newsblogs.com/audio/prius-911call.mp3

Direct link

 

Just imagine if the following ends up being confirmed:


James Sikes, the San Diego runaway Toyota Prius driver, filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and now has over $700,000 in debt. According to one anonymous tipster, we're also told he hasn't been making payments on his Prius.

We received an email earlier today from an anonymous tipster who claims James (Jim) Sikes, the driver of the runaway Toyota Prius, was in financial trouble and even behind by five months on his payments for the Prius. If that's true, it's potential motivation for wanting to find an out — any out — on paying for the vehicle...

http://jalopnik.com/5491101/did-bankrupt-runaway-prius-driver-fake-unintended-acceleration


.

 

Dave:

I liked your screenplay for the show. Can you just change a few things? Homemade Balloon? Really? Been done. Make it a Prius instead. Colorado? Nah. Let's use San Diego as the setting. Freeway is good. LOVE IT.

Get me some video and audio.

Love Ya,

Editor

 

Dispatcher: Sir...Jim...Hello...Sir...Sir...Jim...Sir...Sir...Jim...Sir...Jim...Sir...Sir...Sir...Sir...Jim...Hello...Sir...Sir...Jim...Sir...Sir...

_______________

She must have told him what to do 25 times and asked if he could hear her 327 times. It sounds like he should sue his cell phone provider for such poor reception. LOL
Jim did say 'F' you Toyota at 17 sec. He ignored her questions and directions over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Poor Jim is the worst actor ever. Hope it bites him in the butt big time.

 

I finally got a link to work and forced myself to listen to the whole thing. Agonizing. And I agree, it sounds totally contrived, and almost as if the officer(s) were in on it. Now, same caveats as all along--obviously I wasn't there, the guy could have had the phone on the seat next to him and not on speakaphone (unable to hear the dispatcher well, etc.) and I don't want to jump to conclusions. And we have to admit that all the other stuff about the guy--debt, adult website, etc. are circumstantial and arguably irrelevant. But the inability of a Corvette Club of America driver to figure out (over the span of 20+ minutes) how to put it in neutral, while able to reach the gas pedal with his hand, added to the high-fives-all-around atmosphere at the end of the event, when you'd think the first responders would be concerned with the well-being of the driver, just stinks to high heaven. And he sounded just a little bit too calm and collected to be in full panic mode.

FWIW, I got my 2010 up to about 85, floored, and flipped it into neutral--took about 1 sec. Granted, a Gen III, but still. Chalk me up as a skeptic. I hope the truth will come out, either way.

 

The morning radio news in DC just had a report saying that Jim Psycho has decided not to sue.

Yeah. I guess not. Testimony under oath and all that.

 

Poetic justice would require that Toyota turn around and sue Mr. Sikes for slander and libel, while his insurance company sues Mr. Sikes for fraudulant claim, and Toyota Financial Services sues him for breach of contract (assuming his vehicle is now damaged).

 

ABC and CBS should be added to the lawsuit for reporting this drama as fact! I watched Good Morning America on the morning that Toyota was to rebuke the "hot wiring" of an Avalon as proof that Toyota had problems. This hoax was run at the top of the show in a demeaning manner toward Toyota and without any scrutiny to glean fact from fiction. CBS News shafted Toyota on this story also with no disclaimers that this story may not be factual and a pile on humor.
What we need in this country are topless guys and gals to report the news so that anyone tuning in will now from the beginning that the reporters are as sleazy as the reports.

 

"full frontal news" ?? Hmm, that might get me to consider owning
a TV again.
.
_H*

 

Anyone have luck downloading the mp3/mpeg version of this call?

With Audacity, I may be able to extract sections of background noise and see if I can extract ICE noise for rpm clues. It works best if I have the source mp3/mpeg file but so far, I keep running against a 'flashplayer.' Worse comes to worse, I can jumper the audio output back into the mic input but every conversion reduces the quality.

Thanks,
Bob Wilson