Four Dead Due to Toyota Stuck Accelerator Pedal

The safety glitch we told you about yesterday killed no less than four people in the United States. At least, this is the only accident we heard about at this time, although preliminary reports are claiming more than 100 incidents occurred in either Toyota or Lexus models.

The short story so far: the accelerator pedal on selected Toyota or Lexus models could get stuck in the floor mat, thus continuing accelerating the vehicle. It would be very difficult to brake if such a scenario occurs, Toyota said in a release yesterday.

A story published by timesheraldonline.com reveals that the crash that took place on August 28 near San Diego and killed four people. At the first glimpse, the main cause of the accident is a stuck accelerator pedal. Former Vallejo resident Chris Lastrella, 38, his sister Cleofe, 45, her husband, 45-year-old Mark Saylor, and their 13-year-old daughter, Mahala, died in the accident.

Toyota's president Akio Toyota had nothing to say but that he feels sorry for the accident... “We would like to pay our deepest condolences for the loss of four precious lives,” Toyoda said. “Customers who chose Toyota and Lexus cars because those brands are safe and secure are now beset with anxiety. I regret and apologize for this development."

Meanwhile, Toyota is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a recall and fix this apparently minor-but-deadly glitch. No less than 3.8 million cars are affected by the problem. Before the Japanese manufacturer rolls out the full recall information, you'd better remove the floor mats entirely...