New York Police Agree Driver Error Caused Prius Crash

Washington DC March 23, 2010; The AIADA newsletter reported that police who investigated the crash of a Toyota Prius in the New York suburbs said Monday they agreed with federal regulators that driver error caused it. According to USA Today, the investigation found that the driver, Gloria Rosel, never braked before she crashed into a wall, Harrison police Capt. Anthony Marraccini said. "The vehicle accelerator in this case was depressed 100 percent at the time of collision, and there was absolutely no indication of any brake application," Marraccini said. The finding concurs with that of U.S. safety regulators, who said last week that the car's computers showed the throttle was open and the brakes not applied. Toyota spokesman Wade Hoyt said the investigation showed that the company's cars are safe, and that "if you step on the brake they'll stop, even if the accelerator is glued to the floor." Technicians from Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as well as the police department's own consultants, examined the wreck outside police headquarters in Harrison on Wednesday. The Prius is equipped with an event data recorder, or "black box," designed to record the state of the car at the moment of an impact. Click here to read more on findings regarding a recent alleged Prius acceleration incident in New York.