NHTSA Complaint #10618495 — 2010 DODGE JOURNEY

I WAS SITTING AT THE APPROACH TO OUR DRIVEWAY WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, WAITING TO ENSURE MY GRANDCHILDREN HAD SAFELY CLEARED THE DRIVEWAY AREA. WITHOUT WARNING, THERE WAS A SOUND LIKE THE CAR ENGINE REVVING UP, THE CAR STARTING MOVING/LUNGING FORWARD ON ITS OWN AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR FAILED. I QUICKLY STEERED TOWARD A TREE IN MY FRONT YARD WHERE I CHOSE TO CRASH MY CAR IN ORDER TO STOP ITS CONTINUED ACCELERATION. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION IS UNKNOWN. IF I HAD NOT CHOSEN TO HIT THE TREE, THE CAR WAS HEADED FOR MY FRONT PORCH/HOUSE WHERE MY GRANDCHILDREN HAD GONE TO CLEAR THE DRIVEWAY AREA. A CONTRACTOR WORKING ON MY NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY CAME TO ASSIST ME AND TURNED OFF THE CAR ENGINE. THERE WAS A STRONG BURNING ODOR/CHEMICAL SMELL PERMEATING MY CAR AFTER THE CRASH. IN SPITE OF THE IMPACT, MY AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. WE CALLED 911, THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND HE CAR WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION SHOP. REGISTERED A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO CHRYSLER CORPORATION THE NIGHT OF THE CRASH. *TR