NHTSA Complaint #11241658 — 2019 TOYOTA AVALON

MY HUSBAND, AN 84 YEAR OLD, WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND GOT INTO A DOUBLE ACCIDENT. FIRST, HE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AND HE GOT IN THE CAR AND BACKED UP. AS HE BACKED UP HE HIT A VEHICLE PARKED BEHIND HIM CAUSING THAT VEHICLE TO HIT TWO OTHER VEHICLES. (PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR FULL POLICE REPORT FOR INFORMATION AS TO EXACTLY HOW FAR HE WOULD HAVE BACKED, BUT I BELIEVE NOT MUCH MORE THAN 1 TO 2 CAR LENGTHS.) THIS CAR HAD THE TOYOTA CARE PACKAGE INSTALLED, WHICH INCLUDED THE SAFE BACKING FEATURES TO SLOW A VEHICLE WHEN BACKING AND ANOTHER OBJECT IS BLOCKING THE PATH. MY QUESTION - WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE SAFETY FEATURES. MY HUSBAND LEFT THAT ACCIDENT AND DROVE ABOUT 1 BLOCK DOWN THE STREET, RUNNING THE END OF THE YELLOW LIGHT AND INTO RED LIGHT, AND HIT THE RIGHT REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. HIS VEHICLE THEN DROVE OUT-OF-CONTROL INTO THE CORNER PLANTER AND HIT A SIGN, WHICH THEN FELL ONTO TWO VEHICLES. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT AFTER HE HIT THE TAIL OF THE VEHICLE, HIS VEHICLE SPED UP INTO THAT PLANTER AREA. AGAIN, THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THE SAFETY FEATURES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO SLOW OR STOP THE VEHICLE - BUT DIDN'T. MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE WRONG - AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DRIVING. HOWEVER, HE WAS THE ONE HURT THE WORST WITH 7 BROKEN RIBS, A BROKEN FEMUR, A BROKEN NOSE, AN INJURY TO THE SPLEEN AND BLEEDING ON THE BRAIN. MY CONCERN IS THE FUNCTIONING OF THE SAFETY FEATURES THAT TOYOTA DEALERS ARE TOUTING ABOUT THE VEHICLES.