Yikes! Jammed accelerator * 135mph.

**StraightSix** · March 17th, 2006 07:04 AM

Accelerator jam car hits 135mph
From the BBC News
11 March 2006

A motorist drove for 60 miles at speeds of 135mph after the accelerator on his BMW car jammed and his brakes failed. Kevin Nicolle, 26, was on the A1 near Thirsk in North Yorkshire when the car started to accelerate.

"I was in tears most of the time on the phone to the police - I really could see myself dying," he told the BBC.

He had to drive on the hard shoulder to avoid crashing but eventually lost control and hit a roundabout near Blyth, Notts, but escaped unhurt. Speaking to BBC Five Live about the incident on 5 March Mr Nicolle said: "I was travelling down the motorway and I came to traffic in front of me.

"I took my foot off the accelerator because it's automatic - but I wasn't slowing down at all.

"I hit the brakes. They were braking ok, they were keeping me at about 70mph.

"So I phoned up the police after I called the AA and they said straight away 'stick your hazard lights on and headlights on - we've got a helicopter en route to you'."

Police patrol cars were also sent but struggled to catch up with the BMW 318.

'Survived accident'

Mr Nicolle said: "Then the brakes started burning out - I could see smoke coming from the brakes."

He tried to put the car into neutral but the gears were jammed. Mr Nicolle was in constant contact with the police on a hands-free phone. As he approached Blyth he saw a sign for a roundabout.

"There was a load of cars parked waiting to go onto the roundabout, so I went on the inside on the hard shoulder to try to get around it.

"But doing that sort of speed there was no chance and I hit the roundabout head on.

"I remember the 999 lady saying 'he's crashed'.

"I survived the accident but I thought I was going to die in the fire."

But miraculously he walked away completely unhurt - and said he is now considering giving up driving for good. Mr Nicolle said the police took the car away for tests and BMW said they would carry out a full investigation.

BMW's UK media relations manager, Duncan Forrester, said: "I would certainly like to reassure anybody driving any BMW that we see this as really nothing more than a freak accident.

"We have absolutely no record of anything such as this happening in the past, hence the reason why we want to take a close look at it."

The R reg car (97/98) had 107,000 miles on the clock and had three months remaining on the MOT.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4796264.stm

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What do you think you would have done if you were in the same situation?

**wren** · March 17th, 2006 07:11 AM

i would have s*** my pants.

seriously though, i would have just shut off the ignition and taken a chance that way.

**Renelmac** · March 17th, 2006 07:35 AM

70 mph thats roughly 150 kph.... i guess id either shutoff ignition and take my chance, or sasandal ako sa railing habang inaapakan yung brakes tapos pag bumagal..talon nalang

**oldblue** · March 17th, 2006 09:51 AM

pray and find a soft spot.

**empy** · March 17th, 2006 10:42 AM

um, he couldn't have put the car in neutral? i can do that on my steptronic e46 even if the car is running...

oops, nm. didn't read that the gears were "jammed" hehe. if that's the case i'd shut off the ignition, put the key back in the 'on' position, then tried to steer with pawis steering to the shoulder.

**BlueBimmer** · March 17th, 2006 10:45 AM

naku e36 pala un

**niky** · March 17th, 2006 11:04 AM

Some cars won't let you shut off when you're in gear. And that's a good thing. Shut off in gear and everything locks up, you spin out, and you still crash.

There's another good reason why I don't like buying automatics.

**falken** · March 17th, 2006 11:09 AM

Shutting off the ignition's a bad idea, you'll spin out of control .

**ghosthunter** · March 17th, 2006 02:53 PM

i wonder why the guy never thought of turn off the ignition.

**roninblade** · March 17th, 2006 04:20 PM

hard to say what i would've done if i were in that situation. di naman ako expert sa handling ng car pero pwede ba ganito:

since mahaba naman ata yung highway na tinatakbuhan, i would line up my car para straight talaga yung takbo ng kotse. then turn off the ignition; then since nawala na yung acceleration and brakes, hit the hand brakes? gradually ba or hit it agad to max? would the car still go in an uncontrolled spin then?

the above just shows how unprepared i am pag nangyari sa akin yan. yikes. buti nalang di automatic kotse ko.

edit: ok, i overlooked the 135mph speed of the car. medyo mahirap nga gawan ng paraan.