Feds To Probe Cause of Runaway Prius

Published on March 09, 2010 at 02:50PM

(EL CAJON, Calif.)—A Toyota Prius that sped out of control on a California freeway was towed to a dealership Tuesday while federal and company inspectors converged on the car to determine whether a stuck gas pedal was to blame. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent two investigators to examine the car after Monday’s incident said Olivia Alair, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation which oversees NHTSA. The braking, coupled with a steep rise on the freeway, slowed the car to about 50 mph after which the driver, 61-year-old James Sikes, shut off the engine and the car coasted to a stop.