NHTSA Complaint #10106345 — 1998 AUDI A4

THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED IN INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA AROUND 11:40AM THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS TWO DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. I WAS DRIVING MY 98 AUDI A4 2.8 QUATTRO NORTH ON A TWO LANE CITY STREET WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 35MPH. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR TWENTY MINUTES AND SMELLED A VERY POWERFUL GAS SMELL SINCE I STARTED DRIVING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE GAS AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE ACCELERATION OF MY CAR INCREASED TO 45MPH. I TRIED BREAKING TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND THE BREAK PEDAL RESISTED MY EFFORT. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW TO 40MPH BUT NO LOWER. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK THE CAR ACCELERATED GREATLY. DESPITE BREAKING, THE SPEED KEPT INCREASING. I FELT I HAD NO CONTROL OVER MY CAR. I WAS TRAVELING FOR OVER A MILE AT SPEEDS REACHING 60MPH ON A 35MPH SPEED LIMIT. I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT, LUCKILY IT TURNED GREEN THE MINUTE I WENT UNDER IT. HAD IT NOT, I WOULD HAVE RUN THE RED LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. MY CAR REACHED SPEEDS TOO DANGEROUS FOR THE ROAD I WAS ON. I MOVED INTO THE CENTER LANE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, FEARING I WOULD HIT THE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME. WHILE DRIVING OVER A MILE UNABLE TO CONTROL MY SPEED I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO PULL OFF AND GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. WHEN I DID PULL INTO THE CENTER LANE I WAS ABLE TO TURN INTO A PARKING LOT AT 50MPH. I PUSHED THE BREAKS WITH ALL MY MIGHT; IT DID NOT STOP THE CAR, SO I PUT IT IN PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. HAD I NOT FOUND THAT PARKING LOT, I WOULD'VE RUN INTO A SNOW EMBANKMENT OR HIT A BUILDING. THERE WAS NO CHANCE MY CAR WAS STOPPING AND I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE SPEED OR BREAKING. I AM VERY LUCKY THAT PARKING LOT WAS EMPTY. I REALIZE THAT MY SPEEDS WERE VERY DANGEROUS ON THIS ROAD. SPEEDS OF THIS NATURE COULD'VE RESULTED IN DAMAGED PROPERTY AND INJURIES OR DEATH TO MYSELF AND/OR OTHERS. THIS WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING AND UPSETTING EXPERIENCE THAT COULD'VE RESULTED IN MAJOR DAMAGES, INJURIES, OR EVEN DEATH. MY SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED. *JB