3.12.2010

Runaway Prius hoax? James Sikes bankruptcy

James Sikes has a lot of debt and a colorful history.

HT: DV.

The timing is certainly odd coming right as Toyota panic was making headlines. And it certainly is coincidental that the "stuck accelerator" happened on a wide open freeway with miles of open road straight ahead rather than on city streets, a congested freeway, or heading west toward the ocean.

UPDATE:
Forbes destroys Sikes. And if you want Sikes' side of the story, you can call him at (619)-957-7355.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is definitely a hoax/scam because the Prius has a brake override system designed to prevent runaway accelator problems. Toyota knows this but is just trying to be politically correct

Zeke said...

I'd rather die in a fiery wreck in my Toyota than drive safely in a GM.

Anonymous said...

If this is a hoax, then why didn't the brake override system work? With a brake override system that is functioning correctly, the car's acceleration is supposed to disengage when force is applied simultaneously to both the accelerator and brake pedal. This doesn't seem to have happened in this situation.

Anonymous said...

"If this is a hoax, then why didn't the brake override system work?" asks anonymous. Answer: If this is a hoax, then the hoaxer would be saying some things that are not true. In this case, he would say he was stepping hard on the brakes the whole time when in fact he was only riding them lightly or not at all. I know this may come as a shock, but sometimes people lie!

Anonymous said...

I vote for Hoax. How come the car finally stopped only after the CHP came? He wanted his 5 minutes of fame...Or it was a failed suicide? Face it the guy is 61 years old, has NOTHING. Does not even own the car he was driving. It was a lease that he was behind on the payments. Far over the mileage allowed...maybe thats his motive to get out of the car? He is at retirement age with nothing to retire on.

Anonymous said...

Not a hoax. Toyota did their best to deny the problem Rhonda Smith had with her Lexus of acceleration up to 100mph. They accused her of having tampered with the transmission. She appeard before congress. I believe James Sikes and Rhonda Smith, not the Federal and Toyota investigators who tested the car. How many times have you had a problem with a car and the experts couldn't find either the problem or the cause. Toyota knows what the problem is. They are on a campaign to destroy or silence anyone who's findings are contrary to theirs. The Feds will do everything to protect Toyota. Europe had the same complaints with Toyota a year before those in the US were taken seriously. They need to fix the problem not deny there is a problem.
Kathy

Anonymous said...

The guy is a total liar. They said he had extremely bad brakes in the front that he could not afford to fix, he was behind on his lease payments, filed bankruptcy over a year ago and runs a website for swingers. The guy is a total loser looking for his five minutes of fame at Toyota's expense. He claims he was tyring to fix the gas pedal. How the hell do you do that while driving at 94 MPH? Also 911 told him to put it in neutral and the car would slow down which is exactly what the cop told him to do and he still did not do that. The truth is he was intentionally speeding and then is blaming Toyota in hopes they would fix his brakes for free or let him out of the lease he is behind on. Simple as that

Anonymous said...

i was concerned about an unsafe car - now i am more concerned about liars whose untrue stories may mask true issues someday. go google, the "victim's" former colleagues (real estate agents) and former neighbors have stories about him - if those posts are true, then i definitely smell a liar. hmmmm... it'd a disservice to people if the "news" was a hoax/scam.

Nailed it!

July 5 :