NHTSA Complaint #10467959 — 2004 FORD ESCAPE

AS I WAS ACCELERATING TO GET ON THE FREEWAY I FELT MY CAR ACCELERATE BEYOND THE SPEED IN WHICH I WAS APPLYING PRESSURE. I IMMEDIATELY REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL BUT THE PEDAL REMAINED ALL THE WAY ON THE FLOOR BOARD. I TRIED BRAKING BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL APPLIED NO STOPPING FORCE. I EXITED THE FREEWAY NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS AHEAD IN TERMS OF INNOCENT BYSTANDERS AND TRAFFIC. NOT KNOWING HOW TO PROCEED I BEGAN STANDING ON THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET AND LIFTING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. MY CAR CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN. I DROVE THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE DOWN SOME CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS ON THE FEEDER IN HOPES THAT IT WOULD SLOW THE VEHICLE BUT OUR SPEED WAS SO GREAT AT THIS POINT WE WERE BOUNCING OFF AND I WAS AFRAID WE WOULD CAUSE A MORE HORRIFIC ACCIDENT BY BEING THROWN BACK ON TO THE FREEWAY. I MADE IT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION NARROWLY MISSING A TRUCK DRIVING THROUGH. I GOT ON TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CONCRETE BARRIERS AT THE INTERSECTION AND BEGAN DRIVING ON THE DIRT ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING TO CRASHED INTO TO STOP MY VEHICLE AS EACH PASSING SECOND OUR SPEED INCREASED, I LOCATED A TELEPHONE POLE AND CRASHED INTO IT WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN, MY MOTHER AND MYSELF IN THE VEHICLE. I AM UNSURE IF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE BUT THERE WERE BYSTANDERS WOULD CAME WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND SPRAYED MY ENGINE. I AM ALSO UNSURE OF THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE LAST TIME I LOOKED IT WAS AROUND 60 MILES PER HOUR WHEN I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY. *TR