The story of a California man who called 911 last week panicking because he couldn’t stop his runaway Toyota Prius is being questioned. According to investigators, the Toyota Hybrid driven by 61-year-old James Sikes may have had just old brakes.

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Toyota to cut Prius output on slowing sales-source – Reuters
T) is slashing its output of the Prius hybrid model by 10 percent starting this month due to a slowdown in sales from a peak last year, a source at a group …

Man at Wheel of ‘Out-of-Control’ Prius Has Troubled Financial Past – FOXNews
AP March 9: James Sikes talks about his experiences in his Toyota Prius during a news conference held at Toyota of El Cajon in El Cajon, Calif. …

FHP: 2 killed when tree hits Prius – MiamiHerald.com
Authorities say two men were killed in Franklin County when a tree fell on their Toyota Prius. The Florida Highway Patrol says 57-year-old David T. …

Toyota engineer to assist probe of NY Prius crash – The Associated Press
HARRISON, NY — Police say Toyota is sending an engineer to help investigate a suburban New York accident in which the driver said her Prius accelerated on …

Chevy Volt takes aim at the Prius with SXSW marketing blitz – Tainted Green
Their push towards smartphone integration and social media couldn't have better timing considering the problems Toyota is facing with the Prius. …

Did Driver Fake the Runaway Prius– – Daily Beast
However, the veracity of the story has been called into question as investigators were unable to make the Prius speed out of control as the driver had. …

Toyota Prius Owners Hanging In – ABC News
A row of Toyota Prius cars sits on the lot at Toyota of El Cajon, March 9, 2010, in El Cajon, Calif. Rick Nosic and his wife bought a Prius in 2004, …

US APNewsAlert – The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Government cannot explain high-speed acceleration incident involving Toyota Prius in Calif.

“My Prius Went Wild!” Guy Is The New Balloon Boy – The Business Insider
Like Richard Heene, father of the now-infamous "balloon boy," Jim Sikes, the financially-strapped runaway Prius driver, stepped eagerly into the spotlight …

User-Submitted Links

Death by Prius! watch!
As a owner of a 2008 Prius, I’m none too happy with Toyota’s handling of the current problems with their cars….

Runaway Prius story more fiction than fact
But the news conference alone makes it clear Sikes– story didn–t wash. Journalism schools are supposed to teach that skepticism is paramount. –If your mother says it, check it out,– goes the adage. Yet comments on websites across the country reveal that practically everyone thought the Prius incident was a hoax — though they couldn–t prove it — exc

Lawyer rebuts doubts about runaway Prius driver (AP)
AP – The mystery surrounding a Toyota Prius whose driver reported a stuck accelerator deepened Sunday as the motorist’s attorney dismissed a congressional memo…

Runaway Prius Gets Technical Review, Results Not Good
Could the most publicized guy with the out of control Toyota Prius become the next idiot to gamble with his 15 minutes of fame by lying about his vehicle–

Investigators can’t replicate speeding Prius (hear 911 call)
Investigators can–t replicate speeding Prius after driver reports sticking gas pedal, hear 911 call A Toyota Prius driver claims his car sped out of control on a California freeway Monday, due to a sticking gas pedal. Investigators with the –

Testing didn’t duplicate sticky gas pedal on man’s Prius
Technicians who tested a Toyota Prius after its owner claimed its gas pedal stuck were unable to recreate the same condition, according to a draft congressional memo obtained Sunday by CNN.

Breaking News: Prius

Prius Recall: Runaway Prius Story Of Owner James Sikes’ Questioned In New Report
SAN DIEGO — Investigators with Toyota Motor Corp. and the federal government were unable to make a Toyota Prius speed out of control as its owner said it did on a California freeway, according to a memorandum obtained Saturday by The Associated Press that a congressional spokesman says casts doubt on the driver’s story. James Sikes, 61, called 911 on Monday to report losing control of his Prius as the hybrid reached speeds of 94 mph. A California Highway Patrol officer helped Sikes bring the vehicle to a safe stop on Interstate 8 near San Diego. Federal and Toyota investigators who examined and test drove the car could not replicate the problems Sikes said he encountered, the memo said. The findings raise questions about “the credibility of Mr. Sikes’ reporting of events,” said Kurt Bardella, a spokesman for California Rep. Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee that is looking into the incident. Sikes could not be reached to comment. However, his wife, Patty Sikes, said he stands by his story. “Everyone can just leave us alone,” she said.

Runaway Prius: CHP Help Prius With Stuck Accelerator Come To Stop (VIDEO)
EL CAJON, Calif. — A California Highway Patrol officer helped slow a runaway Toyota Prius from 94 mph to a safe stop on Monday after the car’s accelerator became stuck on a San Diego County freeway, the CHP said. Prius driver James Sikes called 911 about 1:30 p.m. after accelerating to pass another vehicle on Interstate 8 near La Posta and finding that he could not control his car, the CHP said. “I pushed the gas pedal to pass a car and it did something kind of funny… it jumped and it just stuck there,” the 61-year-old driver said at a news conference. “As it was going, I was trying the brakes…it wasn’t stopping, it wasn’t doing anything and it just kept speeding up,” Sikes said, adding he could smell the brakes burning he was pressing the pedal so hard. A patrol car pulled alongside the Prius and officers told Sikes over a loudspeaker to push the brake pedal to the floor and apply the emergency brake. “They also got it going on a steep upgrade,” said Officer Jesse Udovich. “Between those three things, they got it to slow down.” After the car decelerated to about 50 mph, Sikes turned off the engine and coasted to a halt. The officer then maneuvered his car in front of the Prius as a precautionary block, Udovich said. In a statement, Toyota said it has dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the incident. Toyota has recalled some 8.5 million vehicles worldwide – more than 6 million in the United States – since last fall because of acceleration problems in multiple models and braking issues in the Prius. Toyota owners have complained of their vehicles speeding out of control despite efforts to slow down, sometimes resulting in deadly crashes.

Calif. County Files Suit Over Toyota Defects- ‘Out-of-Control’ Prius Driver Has Troubled Past- Toyota ‘Mystified’ by Calif. Runaway Prius Case
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Views Split On Calif Runaway Prius Driver’s Story
CA police help slow runaway Toyota Prius to stop.

Runaway Prius the New ‘Balloon Boy–’
Mystery surrounding driver who reported stuck gas pedal deepens as attorney fights back at Congressional memo• Wear on Runaway Prius Brakes Raises Questions.

Doubts Persist on Runaway Prius Story
But Calif. Man’s Attorney Says Congressional Memo Does Not Undermine Client’s Version of Events.

Lawyer Rebuts Doubts About Runaway Prius Driver
CA police help slow runaway Toyota Prius to stop.

Lawyer Refutes Doubts About Runaway Prius Driver
CA police help slow runaway Toyota Prius to stop.

Memo: Testing didn’t duplicate sticky gas pedal on man’s Prius
Technicians who tested a Toyota Prius after its owner claimed its gas pedal stuck were unable to recreate the same condition, according to a draft congressional memo obtained Sunday by CNN..

Probe Fails to Duplicate California Prius Tale
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Driver: My Prius took me for a ride – CNN.com
(CNN) — The driver of a Toyota Prius says he was taken on a wild ride Monday after the car’s accelerator became stuck, reaching speeds in excess of 90 mph on a winding, hilly portion of a southern California interstate.

Police Help Halt Runaway Prius – WSJ.com
California Highway Patrol helps halt runaway Prius … I didn’t even know that a Prius could reach 94 mph … @WSJ: http://bit.ly/cXzpIk

Did Bankrupt Runaway Prius Driver Fake “Unintended Acceleration–” – Toyota Recall – Jalopnik
I don’t know how you folks (or this broke Californian) think law suits work, but in order to recover LOTS of money ($700K, or whatever) you have to show damages. Since no one was injured here, there would likely be some small settlement for his mental anguish (if shown) and little else. GaryMyMan

I am not afraid of my Toyota Prius | Washington Examiner
I am not afraid of my Toyota Prius | Washington Examiner: http://bit.ly/cGvSBF via @addthis #TCOT #SGP #RIGHT #RNC #TOYOTA #CARS #AUTOS

Prius with stuck accelerator glides to safe stop – Yahoo! News
I thought only SUVs did this kind of thing…. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_runaway_prius

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