NHTSA Complaint #11096833 — 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

AT ON OR ABOUT 7:30 PM ON MAY13TH 2018 OUR SON WAS DRIVING THE FAMILIES 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA NORTHBOUND IN 2 LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY AND NO OTHER TRAFFIC PRESENT. WEATHER WAS INCLEMENT, VISIBILITY CLEAR BUT NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR FLORIDA. HE WAS TRAVELING 41 MPH IN A 45 IN THE LEFT LANE. NO SOONER THAN HE WENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROLLED, (HE HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY) DID HE GO THROUGH WHAT THE DEPUTY SAID WAS A SLIPPERY SECTION OF THE ROAD WAY COVERED WITH STANDING WATER. HE RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR TO DIMINISH HYDROPLANING AND NO SOONER THAN THAT INSTANT THE VSC LIGHTS (VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL) LIGHTS ILLUMINATED IN THE DASH. HE REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL LOCKED UP AND CREATED A PIVOT POINT FOR THE CAR TO SPIN AROUND 180 DEGREES CLOCKWISE, NOW FACING ONCOMING TRAFFIC AS HE WAS NOW IN THE RIGHT LANE. HE WAS FRANTICALLY ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE BY CONSTANTLY DEPRESSING THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLES MOTION HOWEVER UNSUCCESSFUL AS HE WAS PRESSING ON THE BRAKING PEDAL WITH NO RESPONSE, THE CAR NOW STILL IN MOTION, HIT THE CURB, AND LEFT THE ROADWAY BY GOING NOW BACKWARDS DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT OF OVER 12 FEET AND CAME TO A HALT. LUCKILY, A SHERIFFS DEPUTY WAS TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND HAD WITNESSED THIS AND WAS ABLE TO SAVE MY SONS LIFE BY HIS QUICK RESPONSE. THE CAR HAD TO BE EXTRACTED OUT OF THE CULVERT WITH RECOVERY CRANES. OUR FAMILY IS SO GRATEFUL TO THE DEPUTY AND THAT WE HAVE OUR SON ALIVE AND WITHOUT A SCRATCH. HE IS A BIT WORN FOR WEAR BEING SHOOK UP LIKE THAT. THE SEQUOIA HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY TOYOTA AND WE ENJOYED YEARS OF TROUBLE-FREE OWNERSHIP UNTIL THIS INCIDENT.