NHTSA Complaint #11554562 — 2019 CHRYSLER PACIFICA PLUG-IN HYBRID

We had put a ladder on the roof of our van to return to Home Depot, and I opened our rear gate. I didn't know it at the time, but the van's rear gate could not open all the way at the top because of the ladder, which hung a few inches over the top of the gate. Because I didn't know the ladder was in the way, when the rear gate opened, I bent over inside the van with my small dog to put her in her crate. Immediately, I heard the warning beeper start to go off, but before I could move out of the way, the gate came zooming down fast on my head and I had to squeeze to the size and fell into my driveway bushes trying to get out of the way. Thankfully, neither I nor my dog were harmed, but we could have both been seriously injured or killed. I have no idea why a rear gate would descend so fast or not sense that I and my dog were present.