New Evidence of Runaway Toyotas May Help Imprisoned Camry Owner

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

Emerging evidence of flaws in Toyotas could help free a Minnesota man who was convicted of vehicular homicide despite his claims the brakes did not work as his Camry suddenly accelerated and slammed into another car, killing three members of one family.

"There is a terrible wrong here, and there is an innocent man in prison," said Brent Schafer, the lawyer for 32-year of Koua Fong Lee, a Hmong refugee from Laos serving an eight-year sentence in a Minnesota state prison.

The county prosecutor, Susan Gaertner, said she welcomed an inspection of the Toyota "to see if there is any possibility that this particular car had mechanical difficulties that would lead to sudden acceleration syndrome."

There was no evidence of alcohol or drug impairment in the case, which occurred on a Sunday afternoon in June 2006 as Lee returned home from church with his pregnant wife and other members of his family.

Lee's car hit the other car at a speed estimated between 70 and 90 miles per hour. Lee testified he shouted to his family, "Brakes, brakes not working," moments before the fatal crash.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/RunawayToyotas/toyota-acceleration-problems-new-evidence-imprisoned-minnesota-toyota-camry-owner/story?id=9903455

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Wonder if his being an immigrant factored in the jury decision. Hope this guy gets out if he is innocent. It certainly fits the pattern of Toyota's acceleration problem. BTW, the victim's family are siding with him and want the evidence reexamined. They now believe him.

[WriteDown]

1. Probably more due to people on the jury thinking that a Toyota could never malfunction.

Some who post here still seem to be of that belief.

[Brickbat]

5. +1.

I was reading an article in the NYT today, completely unrelated to cars or safety or anything, where a book with faulty research was described as "a Toyota" by a historian. Hilarious.

[Codeine]

7. And nothing will change that mindset, unfortunately.

The reliability of the Japanese auto is practically an unshakable religious conviction among a certain subset of middle-class, Consumer Reports-reading liberals.

[WriteDown]

9. It does sometimes seem like you are attacking a faith or deity....

that is for sure.

[backtomn]

27. Middle Class??

What a classist comment. As someone from the middle class, I find that comment disgusting. The middle class in the US has generally been a "Buy American" crowd (include the lower class in that). It is not the lower or middle-class buying the Prius (with brake problems). I suspect that an analysis would find people with incomes of $75,000 or over as buying most of the Toyota Camry's and Prius's........although the middle class might support the Corolla. This should not be used as another reason to attack the middle class.....PLEASE !!!!

You know.....we might actually need them next election......HELLO!!!

[aquart]

33. You know, Made in Japan originally meant cheap junk.

Took a lot of hard work to change that around. Don't believe that it's impossible to make people think Japanese craftsmanship is worth spit. I used to be brand loyal to Panasonic. Every VCR I bought ...but I wouldn't touch their stuff now. Lasts three months, tops.

Toyota is a deadly laughingstock. Would you buy one?

[Codeine]

35. I'll not buy another Toyota ever.

But I honestly believe people will have forgotten this in a year but still make snarky asides about the quality of American cars by citing Pinto gas tanks.

Luckily my 18-year-old base-model Corolla predates computerized acceleration and braking, and is due to be replaced soon in any event.

[backtomn]

25. Evidence???

Was any evidence provided that the car malfunctioned?? Trials are based on evidence and the emotion of someone dying or being injured. When accidents occur, juries look to punish the guilty, based on evidence. Saying the brakes don't work, but without examining the car, you have nothing. This may have had more to do with guilt or defense incompetence, than the jury.

I am willing to be corrected, by EVIDENCE.

[WriteDown]

26. Probably was a poorly installed floor mat. nt

[JoeyT]

40. Yep.

The 1996 Camry isn’t part of Toyota’s recent massive recall, but it was subject to a separate recall in the 1990s due to sudden acceleration related to the cruise control feature. That recall was not introduced at Lee’s trial.

I'm not sure why it wasn't introduced at the trial. The judge may not have allowed it because it wasn't "pertinent".

[1monster]

41. Evidence is not always available. We had two different cars have incidents with

sudden unexplained acceleration while braking. The first had several incidents. Despite having several different mechanics and different companies try to find what was causing it, the problem remained unsolved and we got rid of the car.

Ten or so years later, the same thing happened when I was driving. I had to put the car in park to keep from hitting my house.

The difference is that in those years between the first car and the second car accelerating without input from the driver was that a cause was discovered. Moisture got into the wiring of the cruise control causing acceleration.

I had the cruise control disconnected the next day and never had another problem.

Had the first car been in an accident due to sudden unexplained acceleration, there would have been no evidence to support our claim that the brakes were not working.

The brakes on the car involved in the accident recounted in the OP probably were working. However, the brakes could not counteract the acceleration... (Scenario in my experience... I was on a pine needle covered driveway. There was a strip of about 15 feet in the pine needle cover where the brakes tried to stop the car, but couldn't.)

If the brakes were in working order, the car driver would not have evidence that the car malfunctioned.

It isn't unusual for a car to have a malfunction that mechanics cannot reproduce in their shop.

[hlthe2b]

2. Tragedy compounding tragedy...

May the truth win out...

[Kingofalldems]

3. If this is true--they let an innocent man go to jail

Special prosecutor needed ---now!

[Brickbat]

4. Toyota was too busy to comment; it was busy counting the $100 million it was proud of "saving" by

ignoring safety concerns.

[dkf]

6. Super major sue job.

This is the reason we have punitive damages. I predict this man will be set for life. At what cost though? The idea that our regulators and government can be bought and sold is worldwide apparently.

[Omaha Steve]

8. So what does the Government do to Toyota for all this after Toyota's day in court

Will Koua Fong Lee get his record cleaned? Will Toyota pay huge fines? Time for the government to do all it can and PROTECT the Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness!

K&R!

OS

[Romulox]

12. Another round of Cash 4 Clunkers? Toyota was the big winner last time. nt

[valerief]

13. The govt will give them a bailout, of course. nt

[backtomn]

28. Cash for Cl;unkers

Apparently, "Cash for Clunkers" was quite a good program for Toyota.

[valerief]

39. No, buyers benefitted from that, too. No, the govt will just give Toyota oodles of money. nt

[Jefferson23]

10. Wow, if true, good luck to him. What a freaking mess.

[Romulox]

11. What a horrifying story. Did his lawyers make any requests to Toyota for information?

:shrug:

[EmeraldCityGrl]

14. "They now believe him.?

Sure they do. They have a huge potential lawsuit against toyota.

Wonder if they'd be so reasonable if the potential for a payday wasn't there.

[aquart]

36. God bless potential paydays.

How about a million for every day in jail?

[happygoluckytoyou]

15. DOES THIS MEAN THE PRESIDENT OF TOYOTA WILL TAKE HIS PLACE IN PRISON?

[Oldtimeralso]

21. He Should, After All Corporations are People.

Right, according to the extreme court of the united states.

[renate]

23. true dat

:thumbsup:

[aquart]

37. You know, the Queen of England was called England.

In her person, as the embodiment of England.

Should not the CEO of Toyota be called Toyota? And be scapegoated when Toyota suffers or sins?

If torture's okay, then WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT HUMAN SACRIFICE? Especially when we finally sacrifice the right humans? You know, the one's who made money killing the rest of us?

Declare a holiday. Make a party of it.

[RayStar]

22. He should trade positions

This is down right disgusting. Toyota has made a major mistake in not addressing this problem sooner.

[Zoeisright]

43. +10000000000000000

Exactly.

[Michigan-Arizona]

16. This happened in 2006?

The recall on the Camry doesn't start until 2007.

[4lbs]

17. But the problems went back as far as 2003. Toyota ignored most of them until 2007, and the rest

until 2009.

[Michigan-Arizona]

20. Thank you very much for that info.....

My concern is we have a daughter that has a 2006 Camry so the info. you gave me is very much appreciated! Again thank you

[SoapBox]

18. wow...Toyota needs to PAY big time.

What a horrible story...Minnesota better jump on this FAST...it certainly
fits the story of what the vehicles are doing.

[Kokonoe]

19. He said "Brakes, brakes not working," not 'accelerator broken'.

So Toyota is home free, and he stays in jail.

[KansDem]

24. Surely, you jest...

I'm sure a split-second diagnosis by a neophyte of an automobile malfunction while fearing for your life and the lives of your loved ones would not factor into this. Hell, I've had license, experience mechanics take much longer to diagnosis problems with my car!

If Toyota tries to take this stance in court, it'll go down in history as one of the most-bogus defenses in justice! :rofl:

[Jansen]

30. Bogus indeed.

If Chewbacca is a wookie, you must acquit.

[Paper Roses]

29. If something in the(Toyota) mechanism's forward propulsion

was suddenly engaged so that the car shot ahead and if the brakes were immediately applied, which would be the overriding event, the acceleration or or the braking?

If my car shot forward and I tried to brake and nothing happened, I know I'd yell that my brakes are not working.

[bpj62]

31. Recreating the Suuden Aceleration

Unless his defense attorney was able to recreate the sudden aceleration this guy never stood a chance. When the police present evidence that you were going between 70 and 90 miles an hour you are pretty much toast. I truly hope that this is what happened and not a potential get out of free card for this guy.

On a different note why is anybody surprised that a Japanese automaker is potentially guilty of warding off investigations and hiding evidence. They are all about saving face. Unfortunately it is both the American Consumer as well as the American Autoworkers at the now idled Toyota Plants in CA, KY, and SC that will pay the price. Where is the outrage from Jim Demint and Mitch McConnell, oh yeah I forgot that they are on Toyotas payroll.

[NickB79]

32. The car he drove was a 1996 Toyota Camry

Which means that, if he is innocent, the design flaws go WAY further back than the recalled list of vehicles.

[RamboLiberal]

34. There are some complaints about the 1996 Camry

From OP article:

The 1996 Camry is not the subject of the current round of safety recalls, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received more than 17 complaints from owners of other 1996 Camrys alleging defects that led to sudden acceleration, some of them quite recently.

"Vehicle accelerated on its own," wrote one owner to the government. "It was a very dangerous situation," wrote another. "The vehicle reached speeds of 60-80 mph while running two stop signs. Had to crash into a tree and another vehicle to stop the vehicle," wrote a Camry owner in October 2009.

[depakid]

38. Then it would have to be a different problem

than the one identified here:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/22/abc-news-expert-says-electronic-design-flaw-to-blame-in-runaway/

[Zoeisright]

42. So it looks like Toyota killed more than seven people, huh?

It's the death penalty to them.