Toyota Preus Out Of Control On I-8
Written by admin on March 9, 2010
James Sikes was on his way home to Jacumba yesterday afternoon, driving his blue Toyota Prius on a winding stretch of Interstate 8, when he encountered a car that was going a little too slow. Sikes hit the accelerator, totally unprepared for what happened next.
“It did something kind of funny,” said Sikes, 61. “It just stuck there.”
For about 30 hair-raising miles beginning near Lake Jennings Park Road near Flinn Springs, Sikes tried frantically to slow down the 2008 hybrid. At one point the speedometer hit 94 mph, said Sikes, who called 911.
A CHP officer was dispatched and while driving alongside, coached Sikes over a loudspeaker on how to get control of the car, a process that involved the brakes, the emergency brake and, when the speed came down some, turning off the ignition.
To me, this is a true hero – and a GREAT job by the driver not to panic and do anything stupid. I wonder if I could be that strong in that stressful of a situation!?
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