Runaway Prius 911 Call Released - Listen here

I couldn't get it in IE but got it using Firefox which downloaded Flash Player to play it.

Whilst I'm here - are there any mathematician's that can calculate the odds on two 911 or emergency calls from runaway Toyota/Lexus being made in San Diego County which has a land area of 10000 square kilometres against a total land area in the world of about 150 million kilometres?
Why doesn't it happen in Europe, or Russia or China or Japan or Australia or wherever?

 

Ok folks... I only listened to about 2-3 minutes of the audio. I had no problem hearing it on my iMac with Safari browser. Anyway, this guy sounded like an idiot. A TOTAL LOSER!!! There is no way in hell that this schmuck couldn't slow down the car. He had the presence of mind to phone 9-1-1 but couldn't shift into neutral? Hit the brake a**hole!!!!!!! I simply had to stop listening because of the stupidity of the entire event.

 

Thank you. I used Firefox and got it fine. :cheer2:

 

Yeah in an interview he said that he couldn't drive and use the phone at the same time so instead he put his phone down and tried his own ideas...

Doesn't sound like someone in a panic...

 

I totally agree with Prioki. This guy Skies is either a nutjob or is involved in a conspericy against Toyota. His backround should be investigated fully. Especially
his bank accounts to see if a large recent deposit was made within the last month or so. I have so many questions. How long has he had this Prius? & many more.

 

Found an interesting blog post on this Toyota "victim." The blog entry itself isn't all that interesting, but the comments below the entry, if true, are very interesting and speak to Mr. Sikes' character.

James Sikes and His Toyota Prius Acceleration Problem: Too Much Hollywood Script?

 

Yes you're right the commentary is very illuminating...

two..

Elsewhere I speculated that he might be a retired COP, put up to the stunt by the CHP. Notice that they didn't stage it where anyone could really get hurt. Protect and Serve and all of that.

 

One possibility: This could be another severed finger in the chillie... He reads all of Toyota's troubles, decides he's going to create an incident, and sue Toyota for millions.

He get's his car on the interstate and puts the pedal to the metal. Then he calls 911 to get his witnesses. The 911 operator tell him to put the car into neutral. He can't do that, he's got a phone in his hand... plus it will make the car slow down... he applies enough brakes to not slow down but enough to smoke his brakes...

Funny how he can't use a cell phone and drive while he can check his gas pedal to make sure there aren't any obstructions... At 90mph that's the last thing I would do (take my eyes off the road and contort my head to where the gas pedal is...)

 

Is it me or at ~0:17 seconds into the audio the driver says "F**K YOU TOYOTA"?

And yeah, the fact the guy didn't respond to the 911 operator many times is suspicious. Plus, anyone do the math and figure out what the car's speed should have roughly been when the accelerator is down to full for 20+min?

Agree with the observation that braking for 20 min would burn out the brakes completely.

And it is surprising that right when you hear the sirens he decides to talk on the phone again.

 

Not that I'm arguing about how fishy Sikes appears - right from the beginning my DH felt this was a scam - but I do have a question.

The video posted by Flying White Dutchman in the Prius Chat thread entitled Instructional Video-How to Respond to Stuck Accelerator, specifically shows how the brakes will override the gas pedal. That being the case, could Sikes really fake this by smoking the brakes while flooring the gas? From what is shown on the video this would be impossible? Otherwise, it seems like a pretty good theory, given the evidence from 911.

(I wish I could post the link to the thread, but I'm a noob here so I'm not allowed to.)

 

Doesn't this explain what happens when you step on the accelerator and brakes at the same time?

 

Sounds very fishy. VERY FISHY. He sounds scared, and I can hear the car, but I'd like to see if there is evidence, because this is just not right. He could have held the power button like she said, or shifted into neutral, or heck even reverse, (which shifts into neutral.) I've tried it myself!

So easy.

/sigh I just don't understand.

 

Yes, it does. In which case Sikes could not have fried his brakes while keeping the accelerator floored, which is what has been proposed upthread, right?

Not trying to be argumentative, just trying to understand.

 

Got it, thanks! Like you said, not that anyone ever would...

 

No, Danny's link doesn't work but this did: http://10newsblogs.com/audio/prius-911call.mp3

At first he said he was going 80mph then at 16:57 into the call he said he was going 90mph.

80mph is 117 1/3 feet per second so he conservatively covered 119328 feet or 22.6miles on the first leg.

Using 90mph (132fps) until 23:09 when the officer was heard he went another 49104 feet or 9.3 miles.

For 23 minutes & almost 32 miles he ignored the intelligent help that was provided. IMO the officer on the scene should have impounded the car and issued a summons for speeding (speed limit + 15mph), a summons for reckless driving (speed limit + 25mph), and a summons for using a cell phone while driving.

Once this is fully investigated perhaps other charges should be filed.

 

Interesting comments here:

James Sikes and His Toyota Prius Acceleration Problem: Too Much Hollywood Script? - News Article - toyota, california, toyota prius

now if Sikes is entitled to be believed at face value then the posted comments deserve equal weight.

 

Because of the hill holder function (so your car will not roll backward at an uphill intersection), if you press on the brake FIRST, the accelerator will not be overridden.

So if Mr. Sikes understands how, he could "smoke his brakes" with the throttle by braking FIRST.