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New York Prius Driver Blames Defective Gas Pedal On Accident

A Harrison, New York, Prius crash was under investigation by Harrison Police, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Toyota after the driver of the car said that the vehicle accelerated without her touching the pedal. However, the solid findings of the investigation revealed that the NY car crash was caused by human error, not a mechanical problem.

In the wake of several large Toyota recalls, some involving the 2005 Prius that was involved in the New York car accident, reports of accelerator-related accidents have been surging across the country. Many of these accidents, however, are not caused by the defective auto parts cited in the recall and some may be the result of drivers trying to take advantage of the recall for personal reasons.

In this case, a housekeeper in Harrison, New York, said that she was driving slowly down her driveway when the accelerated on its own, drove across the road, and struck a brick wall. However, after NY authorities  examined the car and the car’s black box, they determined that someone was pressing the gas pedal 100 percent at the time of the crash and that the brake was not used at all. In many instances, this could just mean that the driver confused the two pedals.

The 2005 Prius is one of Toyota’s most popular cars, due to its high gas mileage and low environmental impact. Although the car was involved in a recall involving floor mats in 2009, it was not involved in the most recent recall involving a defective accelerator.

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