Ready to Handle a Runaway Car Incident?

A rookie San Diego region California Highway Patrol (CHP) dispatcher received a 911 call straight from the front pages—a man said the engine of his Toyota Prius was racing, and he couldn’t stop the vehicle traveling at 94 mph. The driver survived the scary 20-minute ride after a CHP arrived, told him over the patrol car’s loudspeaker to apply the emergency brake and put the car in neutral, the car slowed to 50 mph and the man pressed the engine shut-off button (Prius has no traditional key ignition). At a later press conference, the driver said he was afraid to perform two actions that would have quickly stopped the car: put the car in neutral (he was afraid the car would go into reverse), turn the car off (he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to steer the car). Instead, he waited for a slower speed. As his car stopped, it gently into the back of the CHP that had pulled in front of him to warn off other vehicles—the CHP officer never tried to slow the Prius down by braking in front of it. The incident highlights the need for runaway car advice: immediately tell the driver to put the car in neutral, apply the brake and carefully steer to a safe spot off the roadway. Alternatively, tell the driver to turn the car off via key or button, warning them they will lose some steering and brake assist.