NHTSA Complaint #10323923 — 1994 TOYOTA COROLLA

I TOOK MY 1994 COROLLA TO THE CAR WASH IN CROMWELL CT. AFTER I WAS DONE I PUT BACK THE MATS AND PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND MOVED FORWARD TO LEAVE THE STALL. AFTER A FEW FEET AND OUT OF THE STALL , I TRIED TO PUT THE BRAKES TO TRY TO STOP THE CAR BUT THE CAR KEPT ROLLING I KEPT BRAKING BUT NOTHING HAPPENED AND THE CAR WAS HEADING TOWARD THE ROAD (RTE 3), I MUST'VE PANICKED BECAUSE I TRIED TO SHIFT OUT OF THE DRIVE WHEN THE CAR ZOOMED BACKWARDS (I'VE NEVER KNEW THE COROLLA HAD THAT MUCH POWER) I DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO COMPREHEND WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR SLAMMED IN SUCH FORCE IN THE CORNER WALL OF THE STALL. THE CAR WAS IN SUCH A SHAPE NO ONE COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS TOTALLY DAMAGED, IT WILL NO LONGER STAND UPRIGHT. I REALLY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED. NO SERIOUS INJURIES HAPPENED TO ME AND THANK THE LORD I DIDN'T HURT ANYBODY. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I DONATED THE CAR TO AMERIC CAN! CARS FOR KIDS ON JULY 13 2009. THE CAR HAD ABOUT 80,000 MILES. IT BELONGED TO MY WIFE'S GRAND FATHER WHO RARELY USED IT. AFTER HIS DEATH, WE TOOK THE CAR FOR A TUNEUP BEFORE WE PUT IT BACK ON THE ROAD. I BELIEVE THE CAR WAS IN THE GARAGE FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS PRIOR TO THE TUNE UP. I AM NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WILL HELP YOU IN YOUR INVESTIGATION FOR OLDER CARS. AGAIN, I COULDN'T MAKE SENSE OF WHAT HAPPENED BUT WHEN I READ ABOUT THE MATS THAT'S WHEN EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS CALLED TO SAY I NEEDED TO LET YOU KNOW. *TR