Runaway Lexus kills 4 in San Diego - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

kerry · #1 10-19-2009, 10:20 AM

Murder/suicide is an intriguing hypothesis but it seems like a poor choice of method since nobody's death is assured and bystanders are also likely to die. There'd have to be some convincing evidence from his personal life for me to buy it.

Jim B. · #2 10-19-2009, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

Murder/suicide is an intriguing hypothesis but it seems like a poor choice of method since nobody's death is assured and bystanders are also likely to die. There'd have to be some convincing evidence from his personal life for me to buy it.

Well, the statistics in this country seem to bear out the hypothesis, that it might be intentional in this case, as divorce and suicide for LEO's in this country are sky high compared to all other occupations.

Note also, that the core family was with him, all of them, at the same time right in the car, and so, it was a golden opportunity to "take them *ALL* out" right then and there, when he went, if he thought they were all "against" him - though probably we will neve know. The 911 tape, by its words, seems to sugest he had calmness (deliberation, maybe?) not hysteria in his voice, in his last words - from what I read in its transcript, above..

Plus, I would think that maybe at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento they would teach you how to stop a car with a stuck accellerator, ....their training in high speed driving and emergencies is pretty good, I heard, the instructors give surprise electric shocks though the car seats, and squirt lemon juice in their eyes, and other surprises, as they drive around the academy track.

Bondavi · #3 10-21-2009, 05:46 AM

Don't tell me they've implemented brake-by-wire, now??!?!?

Hatterasguy · #4 10-21-2009, 10:20 AM

Not a bad idea. Aircraft have used fly by wire for years, its a very reliable system if done right.

Steel brake lines suck, they rust and burst after 10-15 years.

Fulcrum525 · #5 10-21-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Not a bad idea. Aircraft have used fly by wire for years, its a very reliable system if done right.

Steel brake lines suck, they rust and burst after 10-15 years.

Mine are quite fine actually and I'm going on 19 years...apparently the drive shaft needs to be replaced.

Hatterasguy · #6 10-21-2009, 10:37 AM

Not the drive shaft, all the bits that align the running gear.

At 270k miles she is due in for some overhaul time.

Fulcrum525 · #7 10-21-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Not the drive shaft, all the bits that align the running gear.

At 270k miles she is due in for some overhaul time.

Flex discs etc? (I did do a 250k overhaul on a number of small things

) Guess I just missed a few of the big ones.

Hatterasguy · #8 10-21-2009, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulC

bottom line: A flick of the very conventional floor shift lever from "Drive" to "Neutral" would have prevented this accident.

Yep.

Panic and die is a very good saying to live by. Once you panic and stop thinking its game over.

HuskyMan · #9 10-21-2009, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulC

bottom line: A flick of the very conventional floor shift lever from "Drive" to "Neutral" would have prevented this accident.

exactly, and to think this same individual had (supposedly) been trained to respond to emergency accidents which in some cases require emergency lights and extreme speed. when I lived in California, I regularly witnessed CHP passing on the left in excess of 90 MPH with no emergency lights. must have been a fire somewhere.......

mgburg · #10 11-05-2009, 03:25 PM

Safety regulators slap Toyota

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the automaker misled the public about a possible defect problem.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Posted by Charley Blaine on Thursday, November 5, 2009 2:45 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Normally, automakers and federal safety regulators say nice things about each other, or as little as possible.

But regulators are annoyed with Toyota Motor (TM), No. 2 in U.S. auto sales and tops in the world.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rebuked Toyota for issuing "inaccurate and misleading" statements asserting that no defect exists in the 3.8 million vehicles it recalled after a Lexus sedan accelerated out of control in suburban San Diego, Calif., killing four people.

The NHTSA pointed noted that the recalled Toyota and Lexus vehicles do have an "underlying defect" that involves the design of the accelerator pedal and the driver's foot well.

Toyota officials have said they believe the Aug. 28 accident, and other uncontrolled-acceleration incidents across the country, occurred after the gas pedal became entrapped in an improperly installed floor mat.

In formal recall notices being mailed out this week, Toyota asks customers to remove the driver's-side mats.

Separately, the company issued a statement Monday saying its recall letter "confirms that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver's floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured."

Toyota also posted a video statement disputing news reports that unintended acceleration may be related to other factors, such as electronic throttle control systems.

That prompted the NHTSA to issue a clarification.

"Safety is the No. 1 priority for NHTSA, and this is why officials are working with Toyota to find the right way to fix this very dangerous problem," the statement said.

"This matter is not closed until Toyota has effectively addressed the defect by providing a suitable vehicle-based solution."

The statement is unusual and threatens to dent Toyota's credibility just as it seeks to assure customers that its vehicles are safe.

In response to the NHTSA statement, Toyota said it was "never our intention to mislead or provide inaccurate information."

The Toyota statement added that it was still developing "vehicle-based" remedies to prevent unintended acceleration events, in which motorists say their vehicles suddenly speed out of control.

Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons suggested last month that these remedies might include changes in the placement of the pedals, or a change to the engine control software in the vehicles' onboard computers.

On Wednesday, however, Lyons declined to comment on any specific fixes.

Toyota announced the voluntary recall Sept. 29, one month after a 2009 Lexus ES 350 sped out of control on a suburban San Diego highway, killing California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, his wife, Cleofe Lastrella, their daughter Mahala and Chris Lastrella, Cleofe's brother.

The incident drew widespread public attention because the final moments were captured as Chris Lastrella made a frantic 911 call describing Saylor's futile efforts to stop the car, which crashed through an embankment and burned.

The accident and recall prompted Toyota President Akio Toyoda to publicly express remorse.

The recall affects the 2007-10 model year Toyota Camry, the 2004-09 Toyota Prius, the 2005-10 Toyota Avalon, the 2005-10 Tacoma, the 2007-10 Toyota Tundra, the 2007-10 Lexus ES 350 and the 2006-10 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350.

The NHTSA has investigated allegations of unwanted acceleration in Toyota vehicles eight times since 2003. Two probes, involving carpet panels in 2004 Toyota Sienna minivans, and floor mats in 2007 Lexus ES350 and 2007 Toyota Camry sedans, led to small recalls.

Toyota shares were up 1.3% in New York after the company reported that it had returned to profitability in its fiscal second quarter.

pj67coll · #11 11-05-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons suggested last month that these remedies might include changes in the placement of the pedals, or a change to the engine control software in the vehicles' onboard computers.

Interesting. I always thought the floormat thing was bogus. Air France 447, coming to a highway near you

- Peter.

Dee8go · #12 11-05-2009, 04:49 PM

This just goes to show you that they should require ALL Lexus owners to have their cars registered with the police, AND they should have a mandatory waiting period, AND criminal background checks. National Lexus-owners Association be damned!

mgburg · #13 11-05-2009, 08:03 PM

I'm still curious though...why was Mark unable to "kill" the vehicle by just turning the key back one *click* and still be able to steer the damn thing?

Anyone totally familiar with this very vehicle that could ACTUALLY test this out? (Obviously, at a slow speed in a large parking lot or down a back street/country road.)

I'm beginning to doubt the "suicide/homicide" theory at this point for two reasons...

#1.) Mark may have been "calm" (relatively speaking) and even though Cliff was on the phone, Cliff never made any claims (as far as we're able to determine) that his BIL was stark-raving nutzzz and going to kill anyone...

#2.) If Mark was ready to take everyone for the "final trip" - Cliff and Cleofe could have grabbed at the wheel and Mark and struggled to subdue him and maybe get his foot off the gas pedal...assuming, of course, that he still had his foot on it.

Since there were no survivors, it's only speculation as to what was really going on behind that wheel. Unless the NHTSA is able to recreate the events leading up to the final seconds of the crash, no one will know, for sure, what really happened.

The only thing that could be done is check to see if there were any restraining order, DA injuctions or divorce/separation filings made. Even then, it's only speculation what could have been know by the parties and they aren't here to tell us anything.

But more importantly, innocent individuals died. (Cleofe, Mahala & Cliff)