NHTSA Complaint #10639995 — 2007 TOYOTA SIENNA

I WAS PARALLEL PARKING, BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE ON A LONG BRIDGE IN A DOWNTOWN/BUSY AREA. WHEN I TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR LIGHTLY TO BACK UP, MY VAN SUDDENLY LURCHED BACK (IN REVERSE), ACCELERATING SO QUICKLY I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A ROCKET SHIP BEING LIFTED INTO THE AIR. MY WHEEL WAS TURNED IN PREPARATION FOR BACKING INTO THE SPACE. AT A BREAKNECK SPEED, MY VAN ACCELERATED IN REVERSE, LURCHING UP A LARGE CONCRETE STEP (ALL 4 TIRES), SQUEALING ERRATICALLY. THEN IT CONTINUED ACROSS A WIDE SIDEWALK/PEDESTRIAN AREA, THE BUMPER HITTING THE BRIDGE, IMMEDIATELY KNOCKING ABOUT 20 FEET OF A CONCRETE RAILING FROM THE BRIDGE INTO THE RIVER BELOW. LUCKILY, MY WHEELS BASICALLY BOUNCED OFF THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE BRIDGE, WHICH WAS SECURED BY A LARGE CONCRETE BLOCK AT THE BASE OF THE BRIDGE. THIS ALL HAPPENED IN ABOUT 1 SECOND... IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG. THE FIRST THING I TRIED WHEN THIS HAPPENED WAS HIT THE BRAKES. THEY DIDN'T MOVE. IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE LOCKED. AS MY VAN BOUNCED FORWARD AFTER IT BOUNCED OFF THE CONCRETE BLOCK, I WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO PARK. I AM LUCKY THERE WERE NO PEDESTRIANS ON THE BRIDGE, AS THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED IMMEDIATELY BY THE CONCRETE, AND THROWN INTO THE RIVER BELOW. I'M ALSO INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE MY VAN DIDN'T CONTINUE IN REVERSE, PLUNGING ITSELF, AND ME, INTO THE RIVER. IT WAS A HARROWING EXPERIENCE AND TWO WEEKS LATER, I AM STILL NOT QUITE PAST IT. I AM A SAFE DRIVER AND THIS IS MY FIRST "REAL" ACCIDENT IN 25+ YEARS OF DRIVING. MY VAN IS TOTALED. *TR