NHTSA Complaint #11306168 — 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2014 TOYOTA PRIUS EASTBOUND ON BROADWAY RD., APPROACHING SOSSAMAN RD., IN MESA, AZ, ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 13, 2019 AT ABOUT 10:00 AM. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND DRY. SHE WAS ALONE IN THE VEHICLE, WEARING HER SEAT BELT, TRAVELING AT 20 MPH IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE, WANTING TO TURN SOUTHBOUND ON SOSSAMAN RD., SOME 200 YARDS FURTHER EAST. CONSTRUCTION CREWS HAD REMOVED A PORTION OF THE ROADWAY, CREATING A DITCH, ABOUT 8 FEET LONG IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, ABOUT 10 TO 12 INCHES DEEP AND ABOUT TWO LANES WIDE. AFTER PASSING A CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE, SHE BEGAN HER TURN TO THE RIGHT AND RAN INTO THE DITCH. THE FRONT WHEELS OF THE PRIUS DROPPED INTO THE DITCH AND PROCEEDED ACROSS THE OPENING SOME 8 FEET, AT A SLIGHT ANGLE, AND IMPACTED THE CONCRETE ROADWAY ON THE OTHER SIDE, CAUSING A SUDDEN AND VIOLENT DECELERATION. DUE TO THE RELATIVELY SHALLOW DITCH, AND THE LOW GROUND CLEARANCE OF THE PRIUS, THE CAR RODE UP ON THE CONCRETE AND THE BRUNT OF THE IMPACT WAS ABSORBED BY THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THERE WAS SOME FASCIA AND BUMPER DAMAGE. THE WHEELS DID NOT IMPACT THE CONCRETE BARRIER. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I FILED A CLAIM WITH TOYOTA, AND THEY AGREED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE'S EVENT DATA RECORDER DOWNLOADED. ANALYSIS OF THE EVENT DATA RECORDER INFORMATION, PROVIDED BY TOYOTA, SHOWS A TOTAL TIME OF 123 MILLISECONDS FOR THE VEHICLE TO REACH A COMPLETE STOP FROM THE POINT OF INITIAL IMPACT, WITH A MAXIMUM LONGITUDINAL DECELERATION OF -14G'S (MY CALCULATION.) MY WIFE SUFFERED SEVERE NECK INJURIES. TOYOTA SENT ME A LETTER SAYING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM OPERATED AS DESIGNED AND WAS NOT AT FAULT (MY SUMMARY.) I DON'T SEE HOW THAT CAN BE, DUE TO THE EXTENT AND NATURE OF MY WIFE'S INJURIES. OR, TOYOTA'S DESIGN CRITERIA ARE AT FAULT AND DID NOT ANTICIPATE THIS TYPE OF COLLISION.