NHTSA Complaint #10276511 — 2006 MAZDA MAZDA3

I AM GLAD TO BE ALIVE AND TELLING THIS HORRIFIC STORY. I WAS TRAVELING ALONE IN MY 2006 MAZDA3 ON I-95 TO LUMBERTON ON JUNE 27, 2009 TO MEET MY SISTER AND PICK UP MY MOM WHO HAD BEEN STAYING WITH HER WHILE I WAS OUT OF TOWN FOR THE WEEK. I HAD MY CRUISE CONTROL ON ABOUT 63 MPH AND HAD BEEN TRAVELING BEHIND A TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCK FOR APPROX. TWO MILES BEFORE I REACHED MY EXIT. I PULLED OVER INTO THE EXIT LANE AND HIT MY BRAKES AND NOTHING HAPPENED! I HIT THEM AGAIN AND NOTHING. I HIT MY ON/OFF CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH AND THE DECELERATION SWITCHES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND HIT MY HORN AND ENTERED A FIVE LANE INTERSECTION AT THE END OF AN UPHILL EXIT RAMP ON A RED LIGHT DOING IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH!!! I KNEW I WAS GOING TO DIE OR BE PHYSICALLY INJURED AND DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WOULD TAKE WITH ME AS I HAD NO WAY TO SLOW OR STOP THE CAR. LOOKING BACK, I KNOW I HAD NO MORE THAN 10 OR 12 SECONDS TO REACT BEFORE I WAS AT THE TOP OF THE EXIT RAMP GOING THAT FAST. I TURNED TO THE RIGHT AS I ENTERED THE INTERSECTION TO AVOID CARS THAT WERE ENTERING AND I THINK MY CAR SPUN AROUND AND I WAS HIT BY A PICKUP TRUCK IN THE INNER LANE WHO PROBABLY HAD NO IDEA WHERE I CAME FROM. I THEN WENT HEAD-ON INTO ANOTHER CAR TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. MY CAR WAS TOTALED, THE ONE I HIT HEAD-ON WAS TOTALED BUT THE PICKUP TRUCK WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT. ALL OF US WERE ABLE TO WALK AWAY - ME VERY SHAKILY. I HAD SEATBELT BRUISES AND AIR BAG BURNS AND ALL OF MY MUSCLES WERE SORE, BUT I AM GETTING BETTER EACH DAY. I STILL HAVE PAIN AND TIGHTNESS IN MY CHEST AREA, BUT FROM WHAT I AM LEARNING ABOUT THIS TYPE OF INJURY IT MAY STAY WITH ME FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. NOTHING BROKEN AND NOTHING SO FAR THAT I CAN'T LIVE WITH. NEEDLESS TO SAY MY NERVES ARE SHATTERED. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THIS DOES NOT NEED TO HAPPEN TO OTHERS!!! *TR