Runaway Toyota Prius Makes Headlines, New Recall Imminent

The gods continue to frown down on Toyota. Yesterday afternoon, a Toyota Prius driving on a freeway in the San Diego area was the latest victim of Toyota’s notorious unintended acceleration. Driven by James Sikes, 61, the car reached speeds over 90 mph and sped on for 30 miles until the California Highway Patrol finally assisted the poor driver in stopping the car. After Sikes called 911, a patroller caught up to him and used his loudspeaker to advise him to engage the parking brake and regular brake to get the vehicle under control. Eventually, thanks in part to a steep incline in the freeway, Sikes was able to stop the vehicle without suffering any injury.

If you’ll recall, while the Prius received recent attention in an inconsistent brake recall, it was not a part of earlier unintended acceleration recalls. Apple co-founder Stephen Wozniak made a well-publicized complaint about unintended acceleration in his Prius. Toyota has dispatched investigators to look at the vehicle involved in the incident, and also announced today that it will recall 2004 to 2009 Priuses to repair acceleration issues. [via LeftLaneNews and WSJ]