NHTSA Complaint #10469662 — 2006 FORD MUSTANG

TRAVELING TO TEMPLE, TEXAS TO VISIT MOM FOR HER BIRTHDAY; I SET MY CRUISE AT 70 MPH AS USUAL WHILE TRAVELING. I APPROACHED A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE, SLOWED DOWN TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO ONE COMING, TURNED MY SIGNAL ON AND TOUCHED THE GAS PEDAL TO INCREASE SPEED. WHEN I PASSED THE VEHICLE AND GOT BACK IN MY LANE, MY CAR CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED AND WAS QUICKLY UP TO 85 MPH AND INCREASING. I TOUCHED THE BRAKES TO SLOW IT DOWN AND THEY WOULD NOT HOLD OR SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE.I WAS TERRIFIED KNOWING THERE ARE A LOT OF CURVES ON THAT PARTICULAR ROAD AND POSSIBLY NO WAY TO AVOID HITTING SOMEONE. I LOOKED FOR THE SAFEST PLACE TO PULL OVER AND SAW AN EMPTY CHURCH PARKING LOT AND HOPED I COULD GET THE CAR STOPPED IN THAT AREA. BY THIS TIME, I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD, I MANAGED TO GET IT THERE BUT NOT BEFORE HITTING A HISTORICAL MARKER AND SNAPPING IT OFF AT THE BOTTOM. THE IMPACT SEEMED TO SLOW ME A LITTLE BIT AND I GUIDED IT BETWEEN TWO BIG TREES AND MANAGED TO GET THE SPEED DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MPH, SLAMMED THE GEAR SHIFT IN PARK WHILE THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING AND TURNED THE KEY OFF. I WAITED ABOUT 5 OR TEN MINUTES AND STARTED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I TRIED TO START IT AGAIN IN A FEW MINUTES AND THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING; I TURNED IT OFF, CALLED SOMEONE TO COME GET ME AND CALLED A WRECKER TO PICK UP THE CAR. THIS WAS THE MOST TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE I HAD EVER HAD IN MY 46 YEARS OF BEING LICENSED TO DRIVE A VEHICLE! *TR