Investigators say 25-year-old John Ryan of Bluffton was ejected from his 2008 Toyota Camry, when he crashed into a massive utility pole on County Road 300 south Sunday afternoon.
Detectives have revealed they didn’t find any skid marks, or signs of over-correction.
Whitley County Sheriff Mark Hodges says, “Investigators have also followed up with the service records on it and found that particular car had been serviced by Evans Toyota in Fort Wayne to take care of the recall.”
Meanwhile, there have been national reports of Toyota gas pedals sticking after being taken in for service.
But in this case, damage from the accident is so bad, investigators can only determine the car was excessively speeding and went off the road for unknown reasons.
“We have verified that the service work was done. It would be the family’s discretion if they wanted to follow up any further on it,” said Hodges.
An Ohio woman says her Lexus careened through a parking lot and crashed into a light pole in Fort Wayne, Indiana, after its accelerator dropped to the floor.
Myrna Cook was treated for a broken leg and other injuries Thursday. The 67-year-old from Paulding says she almost struck cars and pedestrians.
A police report doesn’t indicate how fast her car went, and police did not return a call for comment Saturday. Three spokesmen for Toyota Motor Corp., Lexus’s maker, and a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spokeswoman did not return calls.
Toyota has issued recalls related to acceleration, braking and floor mats that could cause gas pedals to stick. Cook’s car was the subject of a floor mat recall.
Owners of Toyotas who have had their vehicles repaired after being recalled have complained to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that they have continued to experience sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) after the repair. This information adds fuel to the fire of those who doubt that the SUA problem is mechanical and is actually an electronic issue. However, Toyota continues to maintain that the issue is not electronic of software related.
Dangerous and defective products are responsible for many injuries and death nationwide. The issues involved in the Toyota recall will also result in lost value for owners of Toyota vehicles, sometimes call diminution in value. Class action lawsuits have been filed, and I am reviewing and accepting these cases.
Our profession calls this area of law products liability. Consulting a lawyer experienced in handling these matters is usually easy. Most attorneys will provide a complimentary initial consultation to evaluate a claim or case and let the person know if they can help.
