NHTSA Complaint #10482375 — 2001 MERCURY SABLE

MY 2001 MERCURY SABLE ACCELERATED AS I ENTERED THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP EVEN WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKE. I CALLED 911. THE 911 OPERATOR SUGGESTED THAT I APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE WHICH I DID. I WENT ABOUT 15 MILES RIDING THE SHOULDER GOING BETWEEN 60-70 MILES PER HOUR. I EVENTUALLY EXITED THE HIGHWAY BUT COULD NOT STOP EVEN AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP. I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN. AT THIS POINT I HAD REDUCED MY SPEED TO APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR EVENTUALLY LANDED IN A DITCH. AT THAT POINT, I ENDED MY CALL WITH 911. I LOOKED TO MY LEFT AND FOUND FOUR MEN YELLING TO ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I THEN LEARNED THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. I EXITED THE CAR. THE FOUR MEN PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A MERCURY DEALERSHIP WHERE IT IS DOCUMENTED THAT IT WAS IN FACT THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE THAT CAUSED THE CAR TO ACCELERATE. AGAIN, BETWEEN THE 911 CALL, THE INFORMATION ON FILE WITH THE MERCURY DEALER AND THE INSURANCE CLAIM, THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT IS DOCUMENTED. *TR