Gas Station Fire blamed on Brakes

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by catsbox, Mar 6, 2007.

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  1. catsbox

    catsbox Member

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    Tacoma Prius Crash

    Hybrid car crashes into Tacoma mini-mart

    05:25 PM PST on Tuesday, March 6, 2007

    KING5.com Staff

    Related Content

    Miraculous escape for driver, clerk

    TACOMA, Wash. - A hybrid car going somewhere between 30-60 mph blasted a hole into the side of a mini-mart store and gas station Tuesday afternoon, narrowly missing a clerk and sparking a fire.

    The accident occurred at the Hosmer Food Store and 76 gas station in the 8400 block of S. Hosmer.

    The driver, Art Robinson of DuPont, told KING 5 News that he just purchased the used 2005 Toyota Prius this morning only after he was absolutely sure it was safe to drive. Two different dealers gave it a clean bill of health - one even certified it.

    KING

    A 2005 Toyota Prius Hybrid car crashed into a Tacoma mini-mart and gas station, March 6, 2007.

    So what happened next surprised not only Robinson, but literally rocked the neighborhood.

    The car began to act strangely. He was taking it back to the dealership when suddenly the car began accelerating even though he applied the brakes and the emergency brake.

    "I could not stop the car. Because of its design I couldn't shift into neutral," Robinson said.

    "It happened so fast I didn't have time to be scared then," Robinson said. "I'm scared now."

    The car headed straight for the gas station where Linda Kinard was putting away groceries.

    "There was just an explosion," Kinard said. "To me it sounded like a bomb and things were just flying all over."

    Art Smith was pumping gas when the car went flying by him.

    "I was at the gas pump and I heard this 'whooshing' go by me and the next thing I know, this car's in the building and at first I was shocked, of course. I didn't know what to think."

    When he finally figured out what happened he ran to the Robinson's side.

    "I said you need to get out of there, that's a hybrid car," Smith said.

    The caught on fire. Surveillance video from across the street shows a huge column of black smoke. That was trouble because Kinard was stuck behind a counter.

    "It was very scary," Kinard said.

    Art spotted her and helped her get out ahead of the fire. So while a new car owner's maiden voyage went down in flames, at least no one went with it.

    "You can replace a car, you can replace a building, you can't replace a person ever," Smith said, patting Robinson's shoulder consolingly.

    After the fire department put out the fire, they got back too, saying they were concerned about someone being electrocuted because of the car's high voltage system and all of the water they'd poured on the blaze.

    They had to call a team of Toyota experts to help them get the car out of the building.

    As for Robinson, he says he's going to try to make the dealership replace the car.
     
    #1 catsbox, Mar 6, 2007
  2. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    "...because of its design, I couldn't shift into neutral."

    ok.. someone should fire the salesman who sold him the car. Did no one tell the driver how to shift the Prius into neutral??
     
    #2 Tideland Prius, Mar 6, 2007
  3. brick

    brick Active Member

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    Give me a break! Couldn't shift into neutral because of its design? "You better get out of there, that's a hybrid car." And needing Toyota to come get the car? This story defies logic.
     
    #3 brick, Mar 6, 2007
  4. Mary Snyder

    Mary Snyder New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Mar 6 2007, 08:59 PM) [snapback]401316[/snapback]</div>
    Tideland, how do you shift the Prius into neutral?
    Mary
     
    #4 Mary Snyder, Mar 6, 2007
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Masnyd @ Mar 6 2007, 06:05 PM) [snapback]401319[/snapback]</div>
    Hold the joystick in "N" for 1 sec. The reason is so that you don't accidentally knock it into neutral because unlike a regular 'straight-thru' automatic transmission, you don't press a button to move the shifter.

    In reality, it's a split second longer than simply shifting to the N position but 1 second works.
     
    #5 Tideland Prius, Mar 6, 2007
  6. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    ignorance...
     
    #6 galaxee, Mar 6, 2007
  7. dmckinstry

    dmckinstry New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Masnyd @ Mar 6 2007, 06:05 PM) [snapback]401319[/snapback]</div>
    I'm with you Mary. Is there a way to can shift into neutral consistently and quickly in a panic situation?

    When going onto a car wash I have to put the car in neutral, but I don't always get it right the first time.

    I did a search of the Owner's Manual (the pdf files version), and the only references to "neutral" don't give any tricks on getting it into neutral easily.

    So, what is the trick?

    You don't mean trying to put it into reverse while it's actively in drive, do you?

    Dave M.



    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Mar 6 2007, 06:26 PM) [snapback]401338[/snapback]</div>
    So I'll ask you too Galaxee. What is the trick?

    Dave M.
     
    #7 dmckinstry, Mar 6, 2007
  8. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    No doubt all have read other stories about drivers confusing the accel and brake pedals (in other cars). Now that may not be the case here, but I can tell you what happens when you cram on the accel and brake pedals together in an NHW11 Prius. The engine gives up. Just depowers. Receiving conflicting inputs from the driver, it errs on the side of caution.

    Why have I done this? I rebuild accel pedals for NHW11 Prius and I want to test them under all sorts of unusual conditions. This test is by no means the most odd.

    I would be very interested in somebody trying the same in a vacant parking lot with their NHW20. Skip the parking brake, just floor the other two.

    In other words, I do not believe that a shift to 'N' is required. You might just push your 'power' button, but I don't know much about how that thing works. Old-school classic has a twisty key.

    Oh, and people here are also aware that a floor mat without its hook can get bunched up on the accel pedal, right?
     
    #8 tochatihu, Mar 6, 2007
  9. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    No way, don't buy this guy's story for a second...who goes to two dealers to make sure it's safe in the first place. Then, after doing so experiences an event like this? And he claims the emergency brake failed...how, it's purely mechanical. Accelerator stuck...ok, that can happen, but there's no way the triple redundant braking system failed at the same time the accelerator stuck...they're two different ECUs entirely.

    I don't know if this guy did this on purpose, or just got confused or what, but there's no way the car is totally to blame. I'd love to see what the black box ends up saying.
     
    #9 efusco, Mar 6, 2007
  10. GeekEV

    GeekEV Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Mar 6 2007, 06:20 PM) [snapback]401331[/snapback]</div>
    Granted. Though to play devil's advocate, it is a drive-by-wire shifter, so if there were some sort of software or electrical malfunction it's conceivable that might not work. Is there any other "if all else fails" way to do that?
     
    #10 GeekEV, Mar 6, 2007
  11. Chuck.

    Chuck. Former Honda Enzyte Driver

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    OMG, it must be a Chernobyl on wheels!!!

    Isn't that how the writer want me to react? :p
     
    #11 Chuck., Mar 6, 2007
  12. iaowings

    iaowings New Member

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    That’s it im selling my prius its not safe; I know this because I read it on the Internet.

    Seriously though I know if you floor the gas peddle and press the brake to the floor the car does not move. It recharges the battery and also when the battery is fully charged the ice turns off. This story makes no since what so ever. It also implies that had a regular vehicle been on fire inside a structure there would have been no problem. It also implies that only a hybrid would catch fire after such an accident.

    So what would have to happen for this to take place is that the programs for the gas peddle, and brake would have to malfunction at the exact same time. The program that controls the gear selection/ Shifter also had to fail at the same time. Finally the emergence brake would have to be broken. Basically if this is true that care should not have been sold as it had many things wrong with it. Who in their right mind having a run away car aims for a gas station to slow them down?

    This is just pure F.U.D.
     
    #12 iaowings, Mar 6, 2007
  13. D1CK1E

    D1CK1E New Member

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    HAHA! People are scared of hybrid cars... it's great. I'm just curious if the media could convince people to be scared of tomatoes ... fruit that have developed consciousness and are just waiting and planning their terrorist plots. Somehow I think they could.
     
    #13 D1CK1E, Mar 6, 2007
  14. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Everyone knows that in the event that the Prius malfunctions and starts flying down the road, the driver simply needs to pop the hood, open the fuse box and disconnect the main fuse.

    Failing that, remove the glovebox and the far-right dash panel to access the HV/EV circuitry. Simply disconnect pin 41 to disengage the hybrid battery.

    Of course, if that option fails to stop the car, you should remove the back seat, take out the cargo holder and access the hybrid battery. Using a pry-bar and a hex driver, simply disconnect the hybrid battery.

    What's so difficult about that? D'uh!!
     
    #14 TonyPSchaefer, Mar 6, 2007
  15. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    dave: all i do is just take a finger and push the stick over to the left for a second. that pops the car into neutral for me.

    the e-brake failure is what tops this story off. it's got rear drums. i've been up close and personal with rear drums and e-brakes not too long ago with DH... it's a cable. that pulls the brake pad against the drum. stops the car. just like any other car that has rear drums. any questions. unless the cable failed, and the brakes failed, and the shifter failed, and the accelerator pedal failed, ALL AT THE SAME INSTANT... riiiiiight.

    the dealer's gonna take it back and thoroughly investigate the brake system, i'll be willing to bet, before just handing him a brand new one.
     
    #15 galaxee, Mar 6, 2007
  16. cireecnop1

    cireecnop1 New Member

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    WHAT!!!?!?!?!? This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of! The brakes didn't work? anyone think he was probably just hitting the "park" button? SMART cars can't compensate for DUMB people!
     
    #16 cireecnop1, Mar 6, 2007
  17. iaowings

    iaowings New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(D1CK1E @ Mar 6 2007, 10:42 PM) [snapback]401384[/snapback]</div>
    Holly $H(t tomatoes are going to carry out a terrorist attack. Im safe I threw all mine out. thanx for the warning.
     
    #17 iaowings, Mar 6, 2007
  18. D1CK1E

    D1CK1E New Member

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    Actually... I'm pretty sure he forgot to turn off the flux capacitor.
     
    #18 D1CK1E, Mar 6, 2007
  19. cireecnop1

    cireecnop1 New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Mar 6 2007, 07:55 PM) [snapback]401359[/snapback]</div>
    are you kidding? I am sure they will leave it at; that car had a malfunction and should not be road worthy.

    ugh! this kind of enraged me :angry: , If anyone at work mentions this to me.........I'll just laugh in their face. :lol:
     
    #19 cireecnop1, Mar 6, 2007
  20. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    Cars don't drive into mini-marts, people drive into mini-marts. Really, really stupid people.
     
    #20 Stev0, Mar 6, 2007
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