Toyota driver released from prison - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

LockedOut · 08-06-2010, 11:30 PM

Anyone see this story on the news tonight. Can't help but feel sad and happy at the same time for this guy being free after spending more than 2 years in prison.

Quote:

Koua Fong Lee, the Minnesota man convicted in a 2006 Toyota crash that left three dead is now a free man. Shortly after a judge ordered a new trial for Lee - citing new evidence and a shoddy defense - Ramsay County prosecutor Susan Gaertner said she will not seek another trial.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_1...22-504083.html

I drive a 2000 Camry and can't help but think I may be driving a ticking time bomb.

kirant · 08-06-2010, 11:33 PM

I saw it. I think it's great that the legal system (American in this case) could work out an issue to the conclusion both sides wanted.

Pinner · 08-07-2010, 06:47 AM

Locked out, if your car suddenly accelerates, shut it off.

Well he was at fault for a horrible accident. His car hasn't been recalled.

Quote:

Lee was driving a 1996 Camry at the time of the crash. His car wasn't part of the recall.

Lee's attorneys had argued that evidence backed up Lee's account he was trying to brake. Prosecutors had opposed a new trial, saying there was no compelling new evidence.

Judge Smith said if that testimony from the other Toyota drivers had been introduced then, it would "more likely than not, or probably, or even almost certainly" have resulted in a different verdict for Lee.

Javis Trice Adams, 33, and his 10-year-old son, Javis Adams Jr., died in the 2006 accident. Adams' 6-year-old niece, Devyn Bolton, was paralyzed from the neck down and died shortly after Lee was convicted. Two others were badly hurt.

Ducay · 08-07-2010, 12:31 PM

I think 2 years is probably sufficient for this, an accident, that this guy has to live with for the rest of his life.

calumniate · 08-07-2010, 12:34 PM

I read about this guy the first week the recall was happening. Felt so bad for him. He loses his family and gets thrown in jail.. wish him the best.

puckluck · 08-07-2010, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calumniate

I read about this guy the first week the recall was happening. Felt so bad for him. He loses his family and gets thrown in jail.. wish him the best.

He never lost his family.

Edit: Also my first car ever owned was A Mazda MX-6 which would accelerate spontaneously. Thankfully a little tap on the brakes would stop the acceleration. I think it had something to do with the cruise control.

calumniate · 08-07-2010, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puckluck

He never lost his family.

Edit: Also my first car ever owned was A Mazda MX-6 which would accelerate spontaniously. Thankfully a little tap on the brakes would stop the acceleration. I think it had something to do with the cruise control.

Oops, yeah that was how I first understood it when I read about him. My bad.

Traditional_Ale · 08-07-2010, 12:53 PM

Why don't people just shift into neutral if this happens?

Bill Bumface · 08-07-2010, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Why don't people just shift into neutral if this happens?

People are ######s. This is why I think everyone should have a manual for their first car. It forces a new driver to pay a little more attention and teaches you the basic mechanical concepts of a car, such as neutral and gearing down.

Traditional_Ale · 08-07-2010, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

People are ######s. This is why I think everyone should have a manual for their first car. It forces a new driver to pay a little more attention and teaches you the basic mechanical concepts of a car, such as neutral and gearing down.

Could not agree more! Although it may not make a difference.

I have a friend who drives stick and instead of gearing down to stop, she shifts into neutral. If she needs to slow down to make a corner, she will shift to neutral from 4th, then glide around the corner, then drop immeadiately to 2nd. FTL.

Antithesis · 08-07-2010, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Could not agree more! Although it may not make a difference.

I have a friend who drives stick and instead of gearing down to stop, she shifts into neutral. If she needs to slow down to make a corner, she will shift to neutral from 4th, then glide around the corner, then drop immeadiately to 2nd. FTL.

Maybe I'm going to embarrass myself with this post, but this is almost exactly what I do. In situations where I have to slow down, I usually put my car into neutral and shift back into whichever gear is appropriate when it's time to accelerate. I also shift into neutral when I am stopping for a red light/stop sign.

I'm not super car-expert guy, but it strikes me that it might be harder on the clutch/transmission (not to mention needlessly complicated) to cycle through each gear when you are slowing or stopping.

Am I insane? Or did I misunderstand your post?

Traditional_Ale · 08-07-2010, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Maybe I'm going to embarrass myself with this post, but this is almost exactly what I do. In situations where I have to slow down, I usually put my car into neutral and shift back into whichever gear is appropriate when it's time to accelerate. I also shift into neutral when I am stopping for a red light/stop sign.

I'm not super car-expert guy, but it strikes me that it might be harder on the clutch/transmission (not to mention needlessly complicated) to cycle through each gear when you are slowing or stopping.

Am I insane? Or did I misunderstand your post?

Its better to have power to the drive-train available at all times in case you need to make evasive maneuvers in an emergency situation. Proper shifting technique doesn't wreck things.

Antithesis · 08-07-2010, 01:29 PM

Interesting. Thanks for pointing that out.

calumniate · 08-07-2010, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Maybe I'm going to embarrass myself with this post, but this is almost exactly what I do. In situations where I have to slow down, I usually put my car into neutral and shift back into whichever gear is appropriate when it's time to accelerate. I also shift into neutral when I am stopping for a red light/stop sign.

I'm not super car-expert guy, but it strikes me that it might be harder on the clutch/transmission (not to mention needlessly complicated) to cycle through each gear when you are slowing or stopping.

Am I insane? Or did I misunderstand your post?

Trad Ale makes a good point. Also proper downshifting can save your brakes a little bit too.

FlamesAddiction · 08-07-2010, 04:22 PM

I'm glad he got out. Just brutal that it happened though.

I also heard that the families of the victims support it which is good... hopefully they all get some kind of compensation from Toyota.

Pinner · 08-07-2010, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I'm glad he got out. Just brutal that it happened though.

I also heard that the families of the victims support it which is good... hopefully they all get some kind of compensation from Toyota.

His car wasn't part of the recall, he f 'd up.

They went soft on him because of public opinion, poor immigrant, new dad and all blah blah.

Same thing with the people driving the cars that might have accelerated and were recalled, the drivers were responsible for most of the carnage IMO.

If your car suddenly accelerates, shut the thing off, it should take only a fraction of a second and you have brakes and neutral as options as well.

If you can't handle that, you shouldn't be driving.

puckluck · 08-07-2010, 06:49 PM

Thanked for comedic value.

Pinner · 08-07-2010, 07:04 PM

The guy was probably still learning how to drive, his last car was an Ox.

Orange · 08-07-2010, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinner

His car wasn't part of the recall, he f 'd up.

Here's a bit better article about it:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/148308862

The new trial had several reputed witnesses who had similiar (exact) problems with their 96 Camrys, 'new' evidence that he was braking at the time, and a realization that the mechanic who testified in the previous trial was incompetent and it sounds like his previous attorney was as well.

The trial was such a sure fire win for him that the prosecutors had offered him a chance to walk free from jail before the trial - that's not a deal they would be willing to do if they thought they had a case.

Just like all accidents it could have been avoided, but I'm willing to bet (and make up a statistic) that 90+% of drivers in similiar situation is to slam on the brake and keep slamming, maybe some will have the state of mind and experience of getting to neutral or turning off the ignition and hoping your steering doesn't lock (keep key in) but that's not something, especially pre-Toyota recall, people would be thinking of doing in a runaway car because they never thought they would be in a runaway car. I think I'll fault Toyota on this one and not this guy.

valo403 · 08-07-2010, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinner

His car wasn't part of the recall, he f 'd up.

They went soft on him because of public opinion, poor immigrant, new dad and all blah blah.

Same thing with the people driving the cars that might have accelerated and were recalled, the drivers were responsible for most of the carnage IMO.

If your car suddenly accelerates, shut the thing off, it should take only a fraction of a second and you have brakes and neutral as options as well.

If you can't handle that, you shouldn't be driving.

As pointed out by the post above, you are 100% INCORRECT.