NHTSA Complaint #10704926 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS ACCELERATING TO MERGE ONTO I-495 IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, ATTAINING A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL (BECAUSE I HAD REACHED MY DESIRED SPEED), THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY. I APPLIED FULL PRESSURE TO THE BREAK WITH BOTH FEET, BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO SURGE FORWARD. I ATTAINED A SPEED OF ALMOST 100 MPH, EVEN WITH BOTH FEET FULLY DECOMPRESSING THE BREAK. BOTH SHOULDERS OF THE INTERSTATE HAD CONSTRUCTION, SO THERE WAS NO SHOULDER TO UTILIZE ON EITHER SIDE. AFTER WEAVING IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC, I FINALLY FOUND A SUITABLE OFF RAMP. AFTER PULLING THE EMERGENCY BREAK, PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND EVENTUALLY PARK, THE CAR CAME TO A VERY ABRUPT STOP (JUST BEFORE I REACHED A BUSY INTERSECTION AT THE END OF THE OFF RAMP). THE BREAKS CONTINUED TO SMOKE FOR ANOTHER 45 MINUTES AFTER COMING TO A STOP AND CUTTING THE ENGINE. I DO NOT KNOW HOW I'M ALIVE, BUT I AM GRATEFUL. *TR