NHTSA Complaint #10501225 — 2011 HYUNDAI SANTA FE

I BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPOT AND MADE CONTACT WITH SOMETHING WHICH I COULD NOT SEE FROM MY REAR VIEW OR SIDE VIEW MIRRORS. LATER, WHEN THE EMERGENCY WORKERS WERE LOADING ME INTO THE AMBULANCE, I WOULD SEE THAT THE OBJECT WAS A LOW, CEMENT POLE, WHICH PROTECTED A FIRE HYDRANT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE PARKING SPOT I PULLED OUT OF. AS I PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR (DRIVE) WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, TO PULL AWAY FROM WHATEVER I BACKED IN TO, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD (THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT IS THE WAY A PINBALL BOUNCES OFF OF A BUMPER ON A PINBALL MACHINE) AND CONTINUED MOVING FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE DROVE FORWARD INTO THE PARKING SPOT I HAD STARTED FROM, OVER A CURB AT THE FRONT OF THE PARKING SPOT, THROUGH A PATCH OF LOW LYING PLANTS AND OVER A WALL WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE FEET IN HEIGHT. MY VEHICLE WAS AIRBORNE AND CAME TO REST IN THE LOWER LEVEL PARKING LOT, STRIKING A PARKED VEHICLE. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT THE VEHICLE STOPPED ITS FORWARD MOTION. MY ARMS HAD BEEN LOCKED ON THE STEERING WHEEL, MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. MY LEFT LEG ABSORBED THE IMPACT OF THE CRASH INTO THE LOWER LEVEL PARKING LOT. I WAS TAKEN AWAY IN AN AMBULANCE WITH A BROKEN LEG AND SEVERELY DISLOCATED ANKLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS BY MY INSURANCE CARRIER. I WAS ADVISED THAT A CLAIMS INVESTIGATOR WAS SENT TO THE INSURANCE-COMPANY-AUTHORIZED COLLISION SHOP TO WHERE MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED. EVEN THOUGH THE EMERGENCY WORKERS ADVISED ON THE NIGHT OF THE ACCIDENT THAT THE CAR WAS NOT IN A DRIVABLE CONDITION, I WAS ADVISED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY THAT THE INVESTIGATOR DROVE THE VEHICLE IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE COLLISION SHOP AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *TR