Stuck Accelerators Not Limited to Toyota? Runaway Chevy Equinox SUV Stopped by Kentucky Police
Toyota may not be the only auto manufacturer with a sudden acceleration / stuck gas pedal problem. A 2008 Chevy Equinox SUV driven by a woman with her two young twin daughters in the back reached speeds of 90 mph on Interstate 64 between Louisville and Lexington Kentucky before a Kentucky State Police trooper was able to use his police cruiser to stop the runaway SUV.
According to Kentucky State Police, on May 27, 2010, KSP received a report of a motorist that could not stop her vehicle traveling on Interstate 64 between Lexington and Frankfort. The call was relayed from Lexington Metro Police Department by On Star.
Troopers Todd Wheeler and Mark Johnson were dispatched and caught up to the vehicle at the 58 mile-marker on I-64. Trooper Johnson provided instructions to the SUV's driver, Marlene Taylor, to assist in stopping the vehicle. Ms. Taylor was unable to place the vehicle in neutral or turn the key in the ignition.
Trooper Todd Wheeler then placed his cruiser in front of the vehicle and brought it to a stop at approximately the 34 mile-marker in Shelby County.
It is unknown at the moment how many other similar incidents GM has had with its vehicles. The existence of On Star in GM cars and SUVs should help document this type of problem. What IS known is that Todd Wheeler is a legitimate hero who saved the lives of Marlene Taylor and her two young daughters.
