SCION Complaints

LEICESTER, MASS. -- POLICE SAY IT APPEARS THE FOUR TEENAGERS WHO WERE KILLED IN A CAR CRASH IN LEICESTER WERE WEARING THEIR SEAT BELTS, AS WAS THE LONE SURVIVOR. LEICESTER POLICE CHIEF JIM HURLEY SAYS NEITHER ALCOHOL NOR DRUGS WAS A FACTOR IN THE CRASH. HURLEY ESTIMATES THE 2007 TOYOTA SCION WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 75 MILES-AN-HOUR ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET IN THE CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS TOWN LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. HE SAID THE CAR VEERED OUT OF CONTROL AND HIT THE TREE. KILLED WERE THE DRIVER NATHAN PLAZA, 17, OF LEICESTER -- AND THREE PASSENGERS BRYAN ROSSIK, 17, OF LEICESTER, JULIANNE CARON, 18, OF NORTH BROOKFIELD AND COURTNEY BUTCHER, 18, OF WORCESTER. SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD LAUREN BENNETT REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

BY JONATHAN MUNSON - EXPRESS-NEWS A CHURCHILL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WAS KILLED AND ANOTHER TEENAGER WAS INJURED EARLY SATURDAY WHEN THE CAR THEY WERE IN VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND STRUCK SEVERAL TREES ON THE NORTH SIDE, AUTHORITIES SAID. SIERRA R. FELAN, 17, AND HER PASSENGER, DOMINIC RODRIGUEZ, 16, WERE NORTHBOUND ON WURZBACH PARKWAY IN A BLACK TOYOTA SCION TC WHEN IT MISSED A CURVE NEAR BLANCO ROAD JUST AFTER 1:30 A.M., ACCORDING TO A POLICE REPORT. THE CAR HIT SEVERAL TREES BEFORE IT ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WHEN OFFICERS ARRIVED, FELAN WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. FAILURE TO CONTROL SPEED WAS CITED AS A CAUSE OF THE CRASH, POLICE SPOKESMAN MATTHEW PORTER SAID.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA SCION XB. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND A TREE. THE CONTACT SUFFERED PERSONAL INJURIES.THE POLICE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 48,777.

MONTEREY PARK -- A YOUNG WOMAN WAS KILLED AND A YOUNG MAN WAS BADLY INJURED LATE THURSDAY IN A SINGLE CAR CRASH ON ATLANTIC BOULEVARD, POLICE SAID. JASMINE ALEXI GARCIA, 19, OF LOS ANGELES DIED IN THE CRASH, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CORONER ASSISTANT CHIEF ED WINTER SAID. THE CRASH OCCURRED JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT IN THE 700 BLOCK OF ATLANTIC BOULEVARD, MONTEREY PARK POLICE OFFICIALS SAID IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT. GARCIA WAS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR, OFFICIALS SAID, AND THE DRIVER, A 19-YEAR-OLD MAN, WAS HOSPITALIZED IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT. THE INVESTIGATION WAS ONGOING, HOWEVER OFFICIALS SAID IT INITIALLY APPEARED THE 2007 SCION WAS SOUTHBOUND AT HIGH SPEED JUST PRIOR TO THE CRASH. "THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TRAVERSE ALL THE LANES OF TRAFFIC IN AN EASTBOUND DIRECTION," ACCORDING TO THE POLICE STATEMENT. "THE VEHICLE THEN COLLIDED WITH A TREE." MONTEREY PARK FIREFIGHTERS USED THE "JAWS OF LIFE" TO FREE GARCIA AND THE DRIVER FROM THE WRECKAGE, POLICE SAID. THE WOMAN WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE, AUTHORITIES SAID, AND THE DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY--USC MEDICAL CENTER FOR TREATMENT. THE TRAFFIC INVESTIGATORS HANDLING THE INVESTIGATION COULD NOT BE REACHED FOR COMMENT FRIDAY.

APR 4, 2007 4:06 AM US/PACIFIC 3 KILLED IN SINGLE-CAR CRASH IN WHITTIER, CALIFORNIA THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED WHEN A CAR LOST CONTROL IN WHITTIER AND SLAMMED INTO A TREE. POLICE SAID WEDNESDAY THAT THE VICTIMS OF A SOLO-VEHICLE CRASH IN WHITTIER THAT LEFT THREE PEOPLE DEAD AND TWO OTHERS HOSPITALIZED RANGED IN AGE FROM 18 TO THEIR EARLY 20S. THE CRASH OCCURRED ABOUT 7 P.M. TUESDAY ON COLIMA ROAD NORTH OF MAR VISTA STREET, WHITTIER POLICE OFFICER DIANA SALAZAR SAID. JENNIFER UNZUETA, ALBERT VELASQUEZ AND JOSH GUTIERREZ WERE KILLED, SALAZAR SAID. UNZUETA WAS AN 18-YEAR-OLD WHITTIER RESIDENT; VELASQUEZ, 19, WAS FROM WHITTIER; AND GUTIERREZ WAS A 19-YEAR-OLD PICO RIVERA RESIDENT, ACCORDING TO THE CORONER'S OFFICE. THE DRIVER, AN 18-YEAR-OLD WOMAN IDENTIFIED AS XENIA GUERRA, REMAINED HOSPITALIZED IN STABLE CONDITION AT UCI MEDICAL CENTER, SALAZAR SAID. HECTOR SAENZ, IN HIS EARLY 20S, WAS AIRLIFTED TO COUNTY-USC MEDICAL CENTER, AND WAS HOSPITALIZED IN STABLE CONDITION, SALAZAR SAID. GUERRA, WHO HAD FOUR PASSENGERS IN THE TOYOTA SCION, TOLD POLICE SHE LOST CONTROL OF THE COMPACT CAR. THERE WERE NO WITNESSES, BUT SALAZAR SAID THE TOYOTA WAS COMING DOWN A HILL FROM A WILDERNESS AREA WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH, BUT DRIVERS OFTEN COME DOWN THE HILL AT DANGEROUSLY HIGH SPEEDS, SALAZAR SAID. THE SCENE WAS CLEARED AROUND 3:10 A.M. WEDNESDAY, WHITTIER POLICE SGT. A. RUIZ SAID.

FEBRUARY 15, 2010 AN ORLANDO MOTHER DIED MONDAY AFTERNOON AFTER LOSING CONTROL OF HER CAR AND PLUNGING INTO A RETENTION POND BESIDE STATE ROAD 417. SPARKLE CORINEE POMEROY WAS TRAPPED INSIDE HER SUBMERGED TOYOTA SCION FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES BEFORE RESCUE CREWS WERE ABLE TO FREE HER. SHE DIED SEVERAL HOURS LATER AT ORLANDO REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN THE CRASH, ACCORDING TO FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL. THE 26-YEAR-OLD NEWLYWED LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE JUST SOUTH OF LEE VISTA BOULEVARD IN EAST ORLANDO AROUND 8:55 A.M. TROOPERS AREN'T SURE WHAT CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL, CROSS THE GRASSY MEDIAN, HEAD INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THEN PLUNGE INTO THE MURKY WATERS.

VINCENT BUTTO (20) OF MAGNOLIA, DELAWARE WAS KILLED WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF TOYOTA SCION ON JANUARY 15TH, 2009. PRELIMINARY INVESTATION BY THE DELAWARE STATE POLICE STATE VINCENT FAILED TO STOP GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, THE CAR ROLLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES AND THAT EXCESSIVE SPEED WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT

JUSTINE CHANG 23, DIED ON JANUARY 15,2010 IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. HE WAS DRIVING A 2007 TOYOTA SCION. BASED ON NEWS REPORTS, IT IS NOT CLEAR EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED JUSTIN CHANG TO LOSS CONTROL OF HIS SCION. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS, COULD THERE BE A MECHANICAL DEFECT IN THIS MODEL CAR THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN RECALLED BY TOYOTA?

I HAVE A 2005 SCION XB. I HAVE 2 CHILDREN THAT SIT IN THE BACK SEAT IN BOOSTER SEATS. THE LAP BELTS ARE REALLY LOOSE ON THIS VEHICLE(MY CHILDREN CAN ACTUALLY STAND UP ON THE FLOOR AND MOVE TO THE MIDDLE SEAT WITH THE SEAT BELT BUCKLED IN, DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS NORMAL). YESTERDAY MY DAUGHTER WAS PULLING ON HER BELT WHILE I WAS DRIVING AND LOOPED IT AROUND HER NECK. SINCE THE BELT IS SO LOOSE IT DIDN'T BOTHER HER. WHEN SHE UNBUCKLED THE BELT THE BELT WENT UP INTO THE WALL AND TIGHTENED AROUND HER NECK. AT THAT POINT IT WASN'T CHOKING HER AND I RAN AROUND THERE (PASSENGER REAR) AND TRIED TO HELP. HER HEAD WOULD NOT FIT THROUGH THE LOOP TO GET HER OUT. I COULD NOT GET THE SEAT BELT TO COME OUT ANY BECAUSE IT WAS LOCKED UP. THE MORE WE STRUGGLED THE TIGHTER THE SEAT BELT KEPT GETTING AROUND HER NECK. IT STARTED TO CHOKE HER AND I GRABBED A PAIR OF SCISSORS THAT I KEEP IN THE GLOVE DEPARTMENT AND CUT THE BELT. I ONLY RECENTLY STARTED KEEPING SCISSORS IN THE CAR AND IF I DID NOT HAVE THEM MY DAUGHTER WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD RIGHT NOW. I WOULD HAVE HAD TO WATCH HER GET STRANGLED TO DEATH AND NOTHING I COULD DO. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS NOT SOME KIND OF EMERGENCY RELEASE TO UNLOCK A SEAT BELT IN AN EMERGENCY. SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PLAYING WITH THE SEAT BELT, BUT KIDS DO STUPID THINGS, AND THERE SHOULD BE AN EMERGENCY WAY TO RELEASE THAT SEAT BELT. I KNOW HAVE TO PAY ALMOST $300 TO FIX THE SEAT BELT, BUT I GUESS THAT IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY FOR WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE ALTERNATIVE.

TODAY, 3/19/10 AT AROUND 9:30 A.M. I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 TOYOTA SCION HOME FROM THE DENTISTS OFFICE. NEARING THE TOP OF A HILL MY THROTTLE STUCK IN THE FULL POSITION AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO DEPRESS. I PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE REVVED AT HIGH SPEED, I RETURNED THE TRANSMISSION TO DRIVE AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. I REPEATED THE GEAR CHANGE AND THE SECOND TIME THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION RESPOND PROPERLY. I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHO OFFERED NO HELP UNLESS I CAN REPEAT THE PROBLEM. P.S. I AM (AND HAVE BEEN) A STATE LICENSED VEHICLE SAFETY & EMISSIONS INSPECTOR (MA)BY PROFESSION. PRIOR TO THIS I WAS A STATE LICENSED MECHANIC & VEHICLE EMISSIONS INSPECTOR (CA). *TR