A California Highway Patrol officer described a harrowing, high-speed ride on Interstate 8 as he tried to help a Prius driver whose car wouldn't stop accelerating.
Prius owner James Sikes told a 911 dispatcher "My car won't slow down!" as he desperately tried to stop his out-of-control car. The highway patrol officer who helped Sikes stop his car said applying the brake and the emergency brake at the same time was what finally stopped the Prius.
Officer Todd Neibert says Sikes was literally standing on his brake, while his car went 90 miles an hour, as Neibert pulled alongside him. Afterward, Neibert says he saw no evidence that the accelerator was trapped on a floor-mat.
"Everything was free and clear and, like I said, the brake and the accelerator were in their normal resting position as if you were just parked," said Neibert.
Both Toyota and the National Traffic Safety Administration say they'll investigate the incident.
