NHTSA Complaint #11475490 — 2017 FORD ESCAPE

I exited my car to take pictures of a bird. The engine was running and I thought the gearshift was in Park. I felt the car bump me and realized it had started moving. The rear tire ran over my left foot and I found myself lying face down on the road. I tried to get up but fell onto my camera. I looked to my right and saw my car moving down the road, drifting to the right towards the embankment that leads down to a canal. I managed to get up and reached the car as it was about to leave the roadway. I tried to grab the steering wheel, but the rear tire ran over my right foot, then over my left foot again. My car went down the embankment, stopping just short of flipping over in the canal. Since there was no other plausible explanation at the time, I assumed I didn’t put the car in Park despite thinking I did. However, I’ve puzzled over the accident almost obsessively since it occurred because when the engine is running and the gearshift is in Drive and not Park, my car moves forward at approx. 4 MPH with little to no hesitation as soon as my foot lifts off the brake pedal. I DID NOT GET OUT OF A MOVING CAR. After the recall notice, I looked at the metadata from the images taken the day of the accident and it shows my car did not begin moving until at least 23 seconds after I exited it to photograph the bird. That also indicates it was in fact in Park. I had a broken rib from falling on my camera and a broken (crushed) big toe on my left foot. Other injuries apparent then and/or in the days following were considerable swelling and pain of my left knee and foot, swelling and pain of my right knee and foot, and pain along the outside of my lower legs. I still have pain from the accident, including arthritis in my left foot, pain along my outer left leg and inner knee, and pain in my left big toe. My camera and brand-new lens were damaged. I did not have the car inspected. My safety and the safety of others are at risk until the required parts for repair are available.