P&A Providers & Administrators
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Report Fails to Shed Light on Runaway Prius in California

March 18, 2010
2 min to read


EL CAJON, Calif. - A California Highway Patrol officer responding to a report of a runway Toyota Prius last week arrived to find a Border Patrol agent near the driver with emergency lights on.


The Border Patrol presence raises the prospect that there were other witnesses. It is one of the few new details in a report released Wednesday by the CHP that is consistent with what the CHP and the driver, James Sikes, have previously said, The Detroit News reported.

Ad Loading...


But the seven-page CHP report sheds no new light on wildly divergent explanations from Toyota Motor Corp. and Sikes about what happened when the driver called 911 on March 8 to report that his gas pedal was stuck on a California freeway, sending him to speeds topping 90 mph.


Toyota has dismissed Sikes' account, saying its tests show he pressed the gas and brakes rapidly 250 times, the maximum amount of data that the car's self-diagnostic system captures.


The report revisits the harrowing ride that Sikes and CHP Officer Todd Neibert described to reporters shortly after the episode on Interstate 8, east of San Diego.


Neibert wrote that he approached the Prius from behind to find a Border Patrol agent in an unmarked Chevrolet Tahoe with emergency lights illuminated from the rear window.


"It was staying ahead of us and it was later determined that the agent driving the Chevrolet Tahoe was aware of the situation," Neibert wrote.

Ad Loading...


The Prius brake lights were on "for a period of time and would turn off, indicating the driver was possibly pumping the brakes," Neibert wrote. "I was within 1/4 mile of the vehicle and could smell the heated brakes, which indicated they had been used extensively."


Neibert told Sikes to shift to neutral but the driver shook his head from side to side, indicating to the officer that it didn't work or he couldn't do it. Sikes later told reporters he didn't shift to neutral because he worried he might go into reverse or flip.

More Industry

Photo of the back of an electric Mercedes
Industryby Hannah MitchellJune 10, 2026

Auto Prices Ride May Moderation

Flat ATPs and asking prices clocked in below long-term averages for the month, though some segments saw significant price gains, reported Cox Automotive.

Read More →
Photo of white Toyota car in front of dealership
Industryby Hannah MitchellJune 9, 2026

Auto Retail Families Get Out While the Getting’s Good

Kerrigan Advisors’ first-quarter Blue Sky Report shows a sharp uptick in buy-sell deals as more retailers take advantage of handsome values while seeking to escape market risk.

Read More →
daytime, front of car dealership Lexus of Vancouver
Industryby Lauren LawrenceJune 3, 2026

Holman Opens New Lexus Dealership

Located in the heart of Clark County, Lexus of Vancouver features a multi-level showroom, more than 30 service bays, an indoor drive for drop-off and pick-up and a fleet of courtesy vehicles.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Subwoofer in trunk of car.
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 26, 2026

Ownership Priorities are Shifting

A new survey shows that in the U.S. vehicle quality for generation Z is largely defined by advanced safety features, intuitive technology and premium sound systems.

Read More →
Man's hand holding gas pump in fuel tank of white car
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 26, 2026

Pump Price Jump Calculated

ISeeCars.com examined fuel costs for different power trains, finding which ones have experienced the biggest hits since the war in Iran commenced.

Read More →
Graphic showing previous week's truck and SUV segment prices
Industryby StaffMay 20, 2026

Black Book: Weekly Market Update

Wholesale values fell last week despite the spring season still being in the traditional full-gear mode, analysts said.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of dealership sign with Toyota logo
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 19, 2026

Arkansas Auto Group Acquires First Indiana Rooftop

Performance Brokerage Services represented both the buyer and seller in the sale of Carver Toyota of Columbus by Carlock Automotive Group.

Read More →
Headshot photo of Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 19, 2026

Stellantis to Dive Into U.S. Lending

The multinational maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and multiple other brands received conditional approvals for a Utah-based industrial bank.

Read More →
Photo of the rear of a new BMW iX SUV
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 12, 2026

New-Vehicle Prices Rise

With April sales down, higher prices on in-demand large vehicles helped inflate the overall ATP, though increases were under long-term averages, Cox Automotive reported.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Graphic of car segments' results the previous week
Industryby StaffMay 12, 2026

Black Book: Weekly Market Update

Last week in the wholesale automotive market proved to be a mixed bag, analysts reported.

Read More →