NHTSA Complaint #10407207 — 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY

MY MOTHER HAD COMPLAINED OF HER 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY HAVING MINOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION. SHE ASKED MY UNCLE (A "BACKYARD" MECHANIC). MY UNCLE SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO CHECK THAT; SO SHE HAD MY SISTER CHECK ONLINE WHO FOUND THAT HER CAR WAS NOT UNDER RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. WE BELIEVE MOTHER HAD IT CHECKED OUT AT AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP. SINCE DEALERSHIPS ARE TYPICALLY MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOPS, WE BELIEVE SHE HAD THE CAR CHECKED OUT AT THE LATTER. THIS WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. ON MAY 2, 2011, SHE WAS KILLED IN A SINGLE AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT. WHEN WE RECEIVED THE POLICE REPORT, IT SAID THE WITNESSES SAID THE CAR SEEMED TO ACCELERATE WHEN IT LEFT THE CITY STREET. SINCE SHE WAS COMING UP TO A STOP SIGN, SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GOING BETWEEN 15-25 MPH, BUT THE CAR WAS TOTALED, AND THE POLICE OFFICER SAID THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE REPORTS THAT SHE ACCELERATED. THE WAY I INTERPRET THE POLICE REPORT DRAWING IS THAT MOTHER TRIED TO AVOID A COLLISION TWICE: IT APPEARS TO ME THAT SHE MAY HAVE SWERVED TO THE LEFT LANE TO AVOID HITTING THE REAR OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER AND, SEEING THE CAR IN THE OPPOSITE LANE COMING TOWARD HER, SHE MAY HAVE SWERVED AGAIN, WHICH TOOK HER OFF THE STREET AND DIRECTLY, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, IN THE PATH TO THE TREE WHICH SHE HIT WITH GREAT FORCE. ACCORDING TO PARAMEDICS, SHE PROBABLY NEVER HAD CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER IMPACT, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED FOR SURE. THE HOSPITAL ER PHYSICIAN REPORTED IN ERROR TO THE POLICE THAT MOTHER HAD BRAIN CANCER AND MAY HAVE HAD SOME SORT OF EVENT (BLOOD CLOT BURSTING IN HER BRAIN). SHE DID NOT HAVE BRAIN CANCER, AND FROM WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM SPEAKING WITH MY PHYSICIAN, IT IS VERY RARE THAT AN EVENT CAUSING A PERSON'S LEG TO STIFFEN FORCING ACCELERATION. ADD ALL THE INFORMATION WE HAVE ABOUT THIS ACCIDENT COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT SHE HAD COMPLAINED OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION LEADS US TO WONDER ABOUT THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. *TR