NHTSA Complaint #10165902 — 2004 DODGE RAM 2500

ON MARCH 31, 2006 I STOPPED THE 2004 DODGE 2500 RAM 4X4 TO PICK UP MY MAIL. PRIOR EXITING THE VEHICLE I PLACED THE SHIFT LEVER INTO PARK BELIEVING IT WAS IN LOCKED PARK CONDITION. THE VEHICLE WAS ON LEVEL GROUND AND NOT MOVING. BELIEVING IT WAS SAFE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE I EXITED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE LEAVING THE DRIVERS DOOR OPEN AND WALKED APPROX. 30 FEET IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE( APPROX 15 T0 30 SEC.). ALL OF SUDDEN THE VEHICLE STARTED MOVING BACKWARDS AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. CONCERNED THAT OTHER PERSONS MAY BE IN THE AREA I CHASED THE VEHICLE DOWN ON A DEAD RUN. I ATTEMPTED TO ENTER THE VEHICLE BUT WAS PULLED DOWN BY THE DRIVERS DOOR AND HITTING THE BACK OF MY HEAD ON THE PAVEMENT. I WAS TEMPORALLY PARALYZED AND LOST ALL LIMB MOVEMENT. UNABLE TO MOVE I LAID IN THE ROAD AND WATCHED THE FRONT WHEEL ROLL PASSES MY HEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED BY A DRAINAGE DITCH WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE. I HOWEVER WAS NOT AS FORTUNATE AND CONTINUE TODAY TO HAVE MULTIPLE HEAD, NECK AND MEMORY RELATED MEDICAL RELATED PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM THE ACCIDENT. I WAS NOT AWARE OF A SAFETY ISSUE UNTIL RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE DCC IN AUG 2006. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM AS THE VEHICLE PROVIDES THE DRIVER WITH THE FALSE SENSE OF SAFETY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN A SAFE MODE.