NHTSA Complaint #11244776 — 2013 SUBARU FORESTER

AS I BEGAN TO BACK MY BOSSES CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, I LOOKED OUT OF MY LEFT MIRROR TO FOLLOW THE CURVE OF THE DRIVEWAY IN ORDER TO DIRECT ME. I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING BEHIND ME, SO I PROCEEDED TO CONTINUE DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, AND THEN I FELT A BUMP. THEN I SAW IN THE CAMERA THAT I MUST HAVE HIT A VAN IN THAT WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE BACK DOORS OF THE VAN WERE OPEN. THEN I DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND PARK MY CAR SO I COULD GET OUT AND MAKE SURE I DIDN'T HURT ANYONE. AS I PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE, IT MADE A LOUD WINDING NOISE AND LURCHED FORWARD. IT THEN PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE AND PICK UP SPEED IN THE DRIVEWAY. AS I BECAME PARALLEL WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE PARKED IN THE OWNERS DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE I WAS DRIVING WAS STILL PICKING UP SPEED SO I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND PUT ON THE BRAKES SO I COULD STOP THE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH WITHIN SECONDS I WAS CRASHING THROUGH THE BACK YARD FENCE. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO PICK UP SPEED. I WAS PUTTING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES BUT IT WAS NOT MAKING ANY DIFFERENCE. I THOUGHT OF SWERVING THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT, BUT I WAS AFRAID OF THERE BEING CHILDREN IN THE OTHER YARD SO I QUICKLY MADE THE DECISION TO HIT THE TREE SO I COULD SPARE ANY POSSIBLE LIVES AND STOP THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY. AS SOON AS I REALIZED I CRASHED THE VEHICLE INTO THE TREE, I IMMEDIATELY GOT OUT SO I COULD SEE WHAT HAPPENED. I KEPT REPEATING TO MYSELF 'WHY DIDN'T IT STOP?' I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND AFTER DOING EVERYTHING IN MY MIND TO STOP THE CAR, THAT NOTHING WAS SUCCESSFUL. I DID WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE BEST DECISION AS MUCH AS I COULD WITHIN THOSE CHAOTIC MOMENTS. I JUST WANTED TO STOP THE CAR AND NOT HARM IN PEOPLE IN THE PROCESS. I HIT THE TREE AT WITH ENOUGH VELOCITY THAT THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED AND I BROKE MY LEG IN 3 PLACES. THANKS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM