911 Tape: Runaway Lexus Driver Reported No Brakes

"Chris Lastrella, were killed after reporting to a 911 operator that they
could not stop their Lexus ES 350, as it careened down Route 125 in
Santee, Calif. The tape of the brief call was made public this month. It
features the voice of Lastrella, telling the operator that the vehicle had
no brakes. The call ended with occupants calling on each other to pray."

All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

dsi1

2009-09-30 01:51:30 UTC

All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

As usual in runaway acceleration cases that capture the publics
imagination, nobody has a rational explanation on how the brakes can
completely fail without leaving any evidence of failure. That's the
brakes, I guess...

aemeijers

2009-09-30 03:49:40 UTC

All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

Do try to keep up- no key, this is one of those transponder fob and
start button setups. And it was a loaner- he was not familiar with the
procedure to kill engine and not lock the wheel.

--
aem sends...

m***@aol.com

2009-09-30 04:00:01 UTC

If I turn the key off in my 06 LS 460, the steering wheel locks and I
die of collision. If I just let the motor run and down shift that may
do some engine braking, but I probably die without brakes. If I use
the emergency brake, it burns out and I die of collision. OH
WAIT !!!!! I paid an extra $15,000 for the radar safety option that
stops the car just before it runs into something !!!!! Hmmmm ... oh
yeah ... that needs brakes too!!!!! Boy am I ever glad I drive
Lexus ... car of the collapsing brakes !!!!!!

Hachiroku ハチロク

2009-09-30 04:30:39 UTC

If I turn the key off in my 06 LS 460, the steering wheel locks and I die
of collision.

And?

Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, said an Aug. 28
crash that killed four --

I'll take my chances with the engine off, or the car in neutral, or
whatever.

Elmo P. Shagnasty

2009-09-30 11:20:18 UTC

In article

Post by m***@aol.com
If I turn the key off in my 06 LS 460, the steering wheel locks and I
die of collision.

No, it doesn't.

That happens only if you turn the key to lock. It doesn't happen when
you turn the key to off.

Hachiroku ハチロク

2009-09-30 04:31:05 UTC

Post by john
"Chris Lastrella, were killed after reporting to a 911 operator that
they could not stop their Lexus ES 350, as it careened down Route 125
in Santee, Calif. The tape of the brief call was made public this
month. It features the voice of Lastrella, telling the operator that
the vehicle had no brakes. The call ended with occupants calling on
each other to pray."

All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

Do try to keep up- no key, this is one of those transponder fob and start
button setups. And it was a loaner- he was not familiar with the procedure
to kill engine and not lock the wheel.

OK. And the excuse for neutral would be?

Hal

2009-09-30 04:38:10 UTC

Post by Hachiroku ãããã¯
All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

Do try to keep up- no key, this is one of those transponder fob and
start button setups. And it was a loaner- he was not familiar with the
procedure to kill engine and not lock the wheel.
--

So put the transmission lever in neutral and let the engine rev itself
off the limiter, so long as the engine and transaxle are disengaged
the car will slow down....

The mindlessness of people just amazes me some days...if my car was
going full-bore I'd shut the damn thing down one way or another. Turn
off the key, press the clutch, pull the e-brake, put it in
neutral....put it in park...I don't care. There is just no way a
failure such as a stuck accelerator pedal, even on one of them drive-
by-wire jobbies, should cause a car to be unstoppable.....

Chris

Hachiroku ハチロク

2009-09-30 20:20:50 UTC

Post by Hachiroku ãããã¯
All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

Do try to keep up- no key, this is one of those transponder fob and
start button setups. And it was a loaner- he was not familiar with the
procedure to kill engine and not lock the wheel.
--

So put the transmission lever in neutral and let the engine rev itself off
the limiter, so long as the engine and transaxle are disengaged the car
will slow down....

That would be my advice.

All my cars have regular keys, up to the Scion. IIRC, to stop the engine
on a Prius, etc, you press the brake and push the button. I can't remember
if the trans has to be in N or P.

The mindlessness of people just amazes me some days...if my car was
going full-bore I'd shut the damn thing down one way or another. Turn
off the key, press the clutch, pull the e-brake, put it in
neutral....put it in park...I don't care. There is just no way a failure
such as a stuck accelerator pedal, even on one of them drive- by-wire
jobbies, should cause a car to be unstoppable.....
Chris

Michael

2009-10-14 15:41:53 UTC

Post by Hal

Post by Hachiroku ãããã¯
All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

Do try to keep up- no key, this is one of those transponder fob and
start button setups. And it was a loaner- he was not familiar with the
procedure to kill engine and not lock the wheel.
--

So put the transmission lever in neutral and let the engine rev itself
off the limiter, so long as the engine and transaxle are disengaged
the car will slow down....

Maybe in flat eastern Nebraska or Iowa but not if he's going
downhill. Google Earth shows Hwy 125 in Santee, CA is in the hills/
mountains. That's going to take some skill to slow down.

Post by Hal
The mindlessness of people just amazes me some days...if my car was
going full-bore I'd shut the damn thing down one way or another. Turn
off the key, press the clutch, pull the e-brake, put it in
neutral....put it in park...I don't care. There is just no way a
failure such as a stuck accelerator pedal, even on one of them drive-
by-wire jobbies, should cause a car to be unstoppable.....
Chris

Michael

Gary L. Burnore

2009-10-17 02:21:40 UTC

On Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:41:53 -0700 (PDT), Michael

Post by Michael

Post by Hal

Post by Hachiroku ãããã¯
All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

Do try to keep up- no key, this is one of those transponder fob and
start button setups. And it was a loaner- he was not familiar with the
procedure to kill engine and not lock the wheel.
--

So put the transmission lever in neutral and let the engine rev itself
off the limiter, so long as the engine and transaxle are disengaged
the car will slow down....

Maybe in flat eastern Nebraska or Iowa but not if he's going
downhill. Google Earth shows Hwy 125 in Santee, CA is in the hills/
mountains. That's going to take some skill to slow down.

He was a POLICE OFFICER. There was no excuse.

C. E. White

2009-10-01 11:39:42 UTC

All he had to do was turn off the key and use the e brake.

The car had the push button start. A lot of people don't realize that
to kill the engine with one of those when the car is in gear you have
to push and hold the button in for 3 seconds or so.

Panic does strange things to peopel. Putting the car in neutral would
have solved the whole thing.

Ed

bob

2009-09-30 05:05:29 UTC

In article <e2a78983-5aac-431d-aa07-
***@x37g2000yqj.googlegroups.com>, ***@hotmail.com
says...

Post by john
Toyota issued a second recall related to floor mats. The first one
(Sep 2007) sure didn't help Lastrella's family of 4, who reported,
according to 911 tape, that the car had no brakes!!
"Chris Lastrella, were killed after reporting to a 911 operator that
they could not stop their Lexus ES 350, as it careened down Route 125
in Santee, Calif. The tape of the brief call was made public this
month. It features the voice of Lastrella, telling the operator that
the vehicle had no brakes. The call ended with occupants calling on
each other to pray."
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20090929/AUTO01/909290412/1148/auto01/Government-issues--urgent--warning-to-remove-Toyota--Lexus-floor-mats

The story I read on Yahoo today said that the NTSB had found that the
floor mats in the vehicle were larger than the proper size.

I don't know if that means that the proper sized ones wouldn't have this
problem.

Do Lexus vehicles have a hook to prevent the factory floor mats from
sliding forward?

Bob

Ray O

2009-09-30 05:09:59 UTC

Post by bob
In article <e2a78983-5aac-431d-aa07-
says...

The story I read on Yahoo today said that the NTSB had found that the
floor mats in the vehicle were larger than the proper size.
I don't know if that means that the proper sized ones wouldn't have this
problem.
Do Lexus vehicles have a hook to prevent the factory floor mats from
sliding forward?
Bob

Yes.

--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

bob

2009-09-30 05:29:25 UTC

Post by bob
In article <e2a78983-5aac-431d-aa07-
says...

The story I read on Yahoo today said that the NTSB had found that the
floor mats in the vehicle were larger than the proper size.
I don't know if that means that the proper sized ones wouldn't have this
problem.
Do Lexus vehicles have a hook to prevent the factory floor mats from
sliding forward?
Bob

Yes.

Thanks.

So if the factory floor mats are installed correctly there is no
problem, then why the recall? Were dealers installing incorrectly sized
after market mats as dealer upgrades?

Bob

Ray O

2009-09-30 05:52:38 UTC

Post by bob

Post by bob
In article <e2a78983-5aac-431d-aa07-
says...

The story I read on Yahoo today said that the NTSB had found that the
floor mats in the vehicle were larger than the proper size.
I don't know if that means that the proper sized ones wouldn't have this
problem.
Do Lexus vehicles have a hook to prevent the factory floor mats from
sliding forward?
Bob

Yes.

Thanks.
So if the factory floor mats are installed correctly there is no
problem, then why the recall? Were dealers installing incorrectly sized
after market mats as dealer upgrades?
Bob

I don't know what the actual problem is. The floor mats are probably
sourced in North America, for whatever that's worth.

--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

SMS

2009-09-30 15:45:34 UTC

Post by bob
Do Lexus vehicles have a hook to prevent the factory floor mats from
sliding forward?

I was at the Toyota dealer last night and they still had a big display
of the thick all-weather floor mats (these have Toyota part numbers,
they are not after-market).

"NHTSA investigators determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat
found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in
the vehicle, something that could have snared or covered the accelerator
pedal."

I wonder if these were the type of mats in the Lexus.

I've had the problem of an after-market floor mat getting the
accelerator stuck on a non-Toyota, but I used my foot to unstick it.

dsi1

2009-09-30 17:27:53 UTC

Post by SMS
I've had the problem of an after-market floor mat getting the
accelerator stuck on a non-Toyota, but I used my foot to unstick it.

You have a very smart right foot. Hopefully, most folks will have feet
as smart as yours. :-)

Hachiroku ハチロク

2009-09-30 20:19:15 UTC

Post by SMS
I've had the problem of an after-market floor mat getting the
accelerator stuck on a non-Toyota, but I used my foot to unstick it.

You have a very smart right foot. Hopefully, most folks will have feet as
smart as yours. :-)

Oh, BOY! Could I make a response to THAT!!! ;p

dsi1

2009-09-30 22:03:51 UTC

Post by SMS
I've had the problem of an after-market floor mat getting the
accelerator stuck on a non-Toyota, but I used my foot to unstick it.

You have a very smart right foot. Hopefully, most folks will have feet as
smart as yours. :-)

Oh, BOY! Could I make a response to THAT!!! ;p

Congrats on your remarkable restraint, agent 86. I wish more folks were
like you. Then again, this place wouldn't be half as fun. :-)

Hachiroku ハチロク

2009-10-01 01:00:36 UTC

Post by dsi1

Post by dsi1

Post by SMS
I've had the problem of an after-market floor mat getting the
accelerator stuck on a non-Toyota, but I used my foot to unstick it.

You have a very smart right foot. Hopefully, most folks will have feet
as smart as yours. :-)

Oh, BOY! Could I make a response to THAT!!! ;p

Congrats on your remarkable restraint, agent 86. I wish more folks were
like you. Then again, this place wouldn't be half as fun. :-)

Gotta give him a break once in a while.

I don't know why...

hls

2009-09-30 20:09:44 UTC

Post by bob
In article <e2a78983-5aac-431d-aa07-
says...

The story I read on Yahoo today said that the NTSB had found that the
floor mats in the vehicle were larger than the proper size.
I don't know if that means that the proper sized ones wouldn't have this
problem.
Do Lexus vehicles have a hook to prevent the factory floor mats from
sliding forward?
Bob

Our Toyota Avalon and Solara both have these hooks on the drivers side,
but not on the passengers side, which clearly signals that they dont want
those carpets to slide into the pedal area.

I bought some nice looking aftermarket mats for my car, and sure as heck
they slide forward and can foul the pedals because they do not have this
hook and eye arrangement.

I suspect that this is the whole deal in a nutshell. I will have to
stake down these protective mats, or get rid of them.

Hachiroku ハチロク

2009-09-30 20:18:18 UTC