In Control

A disabled French driver had a terrifying experience when the accelerator pedal on his specially- adapted vehicle failed. The man was making a trip to the supermarket when the accelerator jammed at a speed of 100km/h. But when he tried to brake, the car accelerated instead of slowing down. The driver used his cellphone to call the emergency services and several police cars came rushing to his assistance. The police cars escorted him as he roared along a major highway in Northern France, with t
April 23, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A disabled French driver had a  terrifying experience when the  accelerator pedal on his specially- adapted vehicle failed. The man  was making a trip to the  supermarket when the accelerator  jammed at a speed of 100km/h.  But when he tried to brake, the car  accelerated instead of slowing  down. The driver used his  cellphone to call the emergency  services and several police cars  came rushing to his assistance. The  police cars escorted him as he  roared along a major highway in  Northern France, with three toll  stations raising barriers to let him  through until his vehicle eventually  ran out of fuel 200km later, in  neighbouring Belgium. The driver  is taking legal action against the  vehicle manufacturer, saying that  he had experienced a problem  with the accelerator on a previous  occasion and repair work was  supposed to have dealt with the  issue. He also said that he has had  two epileptic attacks as a result of his traumatic experience.

Related Content

  • Battering ram
    March 21, 2012
    A would-be car thief in China found that 13 is an unlucky number. During his attempted escape from pursuing police at Meizhou in China's Guangdong Province, the man managed to crash into 13 other vehicles. A traffic officer tried to flag down the driver of the stolen vehicle but the man instead began bulldozing his vehicle through the streets in an attempt to escape.
    Read More
  • Hot wheels
    June 27, 2014
    In the US city of Miami a car dealer proved very accommodating to a paraplegic man who dropped into the showroom to check out the various models on display. The dealer had already sold a number of cars to paraplegic clients and thought nothing of letting this man sit in one of the vehicles.
    Read More
  • Under control
    February 24, 2012
    Chinese police were surprised to discover that a driver they stopped during a routine check had no arms. The man was steering the vehicle with his feet and explained that he had been doing so for many years. He said that ever since he lost both arms below the elbows in an industrial accident, he had used his feet to steer his vehicle without difficulty. The man was stunned when police officers issued him with a public safety summons and claimed that he was a safe driver, despite his disability. The driver s
    Read More
  • Family fun
    December 13, 2012
    A British mother and daughter both lost their driving licences after French police decided the pair were rather too enthusastic about driving at high speeds. The French police were monitoring traffic along a stretch of the A7 Autoroute when two cars roared past at 180km/h. One car, a Ferarri 599 GTB was driven by the mother while the other car, an Aston Martin, was driven by the daughter. Both women had their licenses taken away immediately by traffic officers and the speed-crazed pair were also given on-th
    Read More

Highlighted Content