According to Police Captain Anthony Marraccini, driver error caused the crash of a Prius on March 9th 2010 in Harrison N.Y. and not faulty brakes.
In an investigation of the incident, Harrison Police Captain Marraccini said the brakes had not been applied, a finding that contradicted claims from a 56 year old woman who told police that the car had accelerated as she drove down her employer’s driveway and hit a stone wall. The woman told police that she had hit the brakes but the car did not respond.
Below is a transcript of what Captain Marraccini told Fox News on Monday:
“The vehicle accelerator was compressed and there was no brake application. We looked at data extracted from the car’s computer system. We looked at the vehicle diagnostic trouble code and we have video taped every key stroke that Toyota made while they extracted the data so we know the data is reliable and trustworthy.
“The event data recorder showed two collisions in this case. The first was a minor collision when the car impacted the curb. There as a speed indication of 35 miles per hour and an indication of deceleration. The second event recorded the main collision. We have indications that the car was traveling 27 miles an hour at the point of impact. The diagnostic data shows that the accelerator pedal was depressed at the time of impact and was in the idle position after impact. The pedal was returned to its normal position after impact.
“Sensors on the gas pedal showed that the throttle position was depressed fully by the driver. The data indicates the accelerator was depressed. There was no pressure applied to the brakes at the time. The shift sensor was in drive and the accelerator sensor indicated that accelerator was fully depressed. There is no indication that the brake lamps were on.
“The data provided to us through this process is conclusive to us and I think that its factual data. Toyota provided us with the data and there is no possibility of distortion of the data.
“The driver is very passionate about her statements. When a driver believes they are on a brake pedal they believe it. The operator stated that halfway down the driveway the car had accelerated but she insisted her foot was stepping on the brake pedal.
“I believe that based on the factual information that we have it was driver error. With all of the hype about Toyota people are trying to point fingers. The operator believes she depressed the brake but that isn’t the case here.”
Police did not file charges because the woman did not intentionally deceive authorities.