Fatal San Diego Car Accident Caused by Stuck Accelerator, Officials Say
Aug 31
Defective Auto Products, Defective Products, Personal Injury 5 Comments
Mark Saylor, 45, a 19-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, his wife Cleofe, daughter Mahala, 13 and brother-in-law Chris Lastrella, were all killed in a fiery San Diego car accident the evening of August 28, 2009, the San Diego Union Tribune reports. The fatal car crash was apparently caused by a stuck accelerator in the loaned Lexus that Saylor was driving making it go out of control and collide with a Ford Explorer SUV at the intersection of State Route 125 and Mission Gorge Road in Santee.
The Lexus continued through the intersection, hitting a concrete curb and through a picket fence. The car then hit a dirt embankment, became air-borne and rolled over several times before coming to stop at a dry patch on the San Diego river basin where it caught fire. None of the victims have been positively identified yet by the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office. The victims were identified by CHP officials who confirmed that Mark Saylor had checked out that particular Lexus for a family trip.
My heart goes out to the Saylor family and their friends for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved this family. They will certainly be in my prayers.
San Diego Car Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there was one fatality and 141 injuries involving car accidents in Santee, California. In San Diego County as a whole, 268 fatalities and 14,641 injuries were reported in 2007 as a result of car accidents.
Based on this newspaper report, this fatal California car accident was the result of a mechanical malfunction in the Lexus. CHP investigators say the car accident happened two minutes after they received a 911 call from one of the Lexus’ passengers–most likely Saylor’s wife–who reported that the car’s accelerator was stuck and that they could not stop. Eyewitnesses told CHP officials the car was traveling in excess of 100 mph. Investigators are also looking into where the loaner car came from–a rental company, dealership or mechanic shop.
California Auto Products Liability Attorneys
The Saylor’ family would be well-advised to immediately contact a reputed California personal injury lawyer who is experienced and has a winning track record with auto products liability cases. It would be crucial to preserve whatever is left of the Lexus so it can be carefully examined by an expert for any vehicle defects, mechanical malfunction or other evidence. In auto product liability cases, the vehicle itself is the biggest piece of evidence. The best California personal injury law firms will always offer a free and comprehensive initial consultation to injured victims and/or their families.
Sep 01, 2009 @ 10:20:16
I think one lesson from this tragedy is that shops/dealerships should be held accountable for loaning people dangerously defective vehicles. While working on my car, one dealership never even hinted that the the loaner they were giving me had a bad water pump and would lose its entire load of coolant every 10 miles. Fortunately, I was on an off ramp near a gas station when the red lights came on and the steam started billowing. If it had seized up in the fast lane, guess what. When I confronted the dealer, his response was, “Live on the edge.” Another time, I barely escaped a collision on a three-block test drive because the car I was testing had grease or brake fluid on the brake linings.
Sep 15, 2009 @ 23:38:03
Lets start off by saying i cant believe some one who was trained in high speed and deffensive driving, did not have enough sense to do one of the following: grab the floor mat with your hand and pull it back, slam on the brakes, gently engage the parking brake, put the vehicle in neutral, heck for that matter put it in park, or maybe simply shut off the engine?? i cant believe this guy was responsable for keeping my family safe on the highway, and using his great judgment in issuing traffic citation. and as for the first comment, i myself am a service consultant at a highline car dealership. how can you possibly believe that this dealership should be held responsable??? if they gave him a loaner with all weather floor matts that suposably were not meant for that car, what would be so different if he was to go to his local auto parts store and purchase universal all weather floor matts for his own personal vehicle, do you think then someone would be going after the deep pockets ofthe auto parts chain??? dont take me wrong what happend was a tragedy!!! however to blame anyone else besides the highly trained CHP officer behind the wheel of that car should be a crime!!!!
Sep 21, 2009 @ 11:36:38
This accident has been bothering me. Why didn’t the driver put the car in neutral? I’m sure the breaks were burned out because the car was in full power. If he put the car in neutral at the time when the Accelerator got stuck he would have been able to stop the car. This makes no sense that the driver did not put the car in neutral. There’s got to be more with this story.
Sep 27, 2009 @ 02:33:45
The thing is,its most likely a new model lexus,
have you seen the auto gear selectors for new luxury cars.and parking break,
they are mostly computerized now(flyby wire stuff),so not having the traditional cables running underneath,so if the computer says no,its hard to think what you would do,
wonder if the breaks work on a simlar line to this .
Dec 16, 2009 @ 18:49:43
This genius was a CHP and he didn’t think to shift into neutral or turn his key to off? Next stop: Darwin Awards!