A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car!

11.03.06, 12:37
Today's online telegraph

tinyurl.com/e6668
has the following headline story. My only comment is that I think its good
that something like this can happen, and there be no casualties and no
prosecutions. It's healthy that sometimes things can happen and there be no
guilty party.

That having been said, I think the Bavarians have some questions to answer...

[quote to end of post]:

The accelerator has jammed, the brakes have burned out and I'm trapped in my
BMW doing 130mph
By Nick Britten
(Filed: 11/03/2006)

A motorist was trapped in his car driving at almost 130mph for 60 miles after
the accelerator jammed.

Kevin Nicolle, 25, was unable to stop the automatic BMW going at top speed
after the malfunction on the A1.


Kevin Nicolle: 'I couldn't get the pedal off the floor'
His terrifying journey, which was followed by four police cars and a
helicopter, ended when he smashed the car into a roundabout, flipping it on
its roof.

Amazingly, the former lorry driver walked away from the accident uninjured.

"The whole thing was just a blur," he said. "I can't get it out of my head. I
was terrified, hysterical and crying.

"Every time I close my eyes I remember it.

"It's a miracle I didn't collide with another vehicle or cause a pile-up, but
I had a lot of close shaves with lorries and cars and swerved about trying to
avoid them."

Mr Nicolle was driving back from friends in Newcastle to his home in
Southsea, Hants, last Sunday, when the accelerator on his automatic BMW 318
jammed at Catterick, near junction 53 of the A1.

He then travelled 60 miles in 26 minutes, passing through three counties.


"I had been driving for quite a while when I realised the accelerator pedal
was stuck down," he said. "I had gone into the fast lane and I couldn't get
the pedal off the floor. I used my hands-free phone and tried the AA to ask
them what to do.

"At that point I wasn't panicking because I jammed my foot on the brake and
that was keeping the speed to a steady 70mph.

"I told the AA I couldn't slow down. I thought they might be able to give me
some advice but they told me to hang up straight away and phone the police. I
dialled 999 and spoke to a woman and by this time I was starting to panic
because the speed of the car had increased to 100mph."

Police alerted a helicopter and four traffic cars set off to try to catch him
as Mr Nicolle kept up a running commentary, all the time flashing his lights
and sounding his horn to warn other motorists.

"My brakes were burning out and starting to fail - that's when the speed
really started to build," he said. "I could see the speed building to 120mph
or 130mph. I remember starting to shake and freeze up. I was really panicking
and broke into tears. I couldn't help it because I thought I was definitely
going to die.

"I was trying to slip the car into neutral but because the car was over-
revving and red-lining I couldn't do it.

"I couldn't turn off the ignition because it would have disabled the power
steering and made it even more dangerous. I was even shouting at the other
drivers to get out of the way, I was getting hysterical. The traffic was
getting heavier and I had to take drastic measures.

"I overtook someone on the verge outside the fast lane and police told me to
get on to the hard shoulder. But I passed three or four slip roads and at one
point I nearly T-boned someone trying to get on from the slip road.

"The woman operator told me the police were about half a mile behind me but
they were finding it difficult to catch me.

"I told them to send an ambulance because I was going to die. I knew I was
going to die.

"Then I saw a sign saying it was 800 yards to a round-about. There was a
queue of cars and I swerved round them then I tried to go round the
roundabout itself.

"I didn't deliberately try to crash the car to stop myself. I remember saying
to the fireman, 'Don't cut my car, you'll damage it' but they were
saying, 'Don't worry about that mate, it's written off'. I'd buy another BMW
because, although there was a problem, it saved my life in that crash."

Mr Nicolle overturned the car at the Blyth roundabout near Worksop.
Nottinghamshire police confirmed his version of events.

A spokesman said: "Kevin was monitored doing in excess of 100mph and is lucky
to have walked away with minor injuries.

"He phoned 999 to say that his brakes weren't working and was terrified for
his life."

The racing green R-reg car, which Mr Nicolle had had for a year, has been
examined by police and he has been told he will not face prosecution.

A spokesman for BMW, which wants to examine the wrecked car, said: "We are
unaware of any issues of that nature with that particular model."
    • portulaco Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 13.03.06, 08:52
      I used to drive a 1973 FIAT 128 Sport Coupe, that car was jamming the
      accelerator pedal very often... solution? I simply turned off the ignition key
      and shifted neutral before.

      If the car has start/stop button like the Renault Laguna than you need to press
      it at least 5 times before the engine shuts down.


      • usenetposts Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 13.03.06, 10:32
        Yeah, he could have shut his engine off with the key, but then he wouldn't have
        had power assisted steering. That was a decision that needed to be made while
        he still had his brakes.
        • portulaco Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 13.03.06, 14:13
          What has power steering to do with that? I had to drive a Range Rover DTI
          without power steering when I was working in a car saloon in Portugal, it was
          heavy as I don't know what but perfectly possible to drive.

          What I do believe is the panic in such a moment doesn't make you think
          racionaly.

          By the way... have you heard about the problems regarding malfunctions with the
          cruise control in recent Renault cars? It seems that some cars simply don't
          cancel the settings not even breaking like mad, I guess that's why in the UK
          some Renault owners want to boicote Renault company. smile)

          • usenetposts Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 13.03.06, 15:01
            I would have thought that a BMW with going at full tilt down a busy dual
            carriageway would have been a pig to control without the power steering, and
            what else is likely to happen is that if you turn the engine off the steering
            wheel lock will also come on.

            As to the Renault marque, I am considering getting a Renault Espace but this is
            the newest model. I am not sure that it even has cruise control. In the Jeep I
            used to have the cruise control had to be reset by pressing the button after
            every instance of breaking, but if the speed went below 40 miles per hour then
            the resume acceleration button would not work. You had to get it above that
            speed yourself and then resume afterwards.
            • the_real_kris Wrong. 15.03.06, 12:08
              You don't have to take the key out (or turn it to lock position). It's enough to
              turn it to off position (there are three positions for a key for that reason
              amongst others). You can still steer (even without power steering - although
              decent cars are equipped with electrical power steering - like mine is big_grin).

              Additionally - being a man you can steer and brake without power assist (tested
              that personally driving Zuk) and it's better to be slowing down and having
              problems with steering than accelerating and having problems with steering.

              He just panicked and was lucky to get out of it alive.

              I also think good drivers should practice a situation like that (but think it
              thoroughly first and test if your steering wheel will not lock while stopped,
              then try manouvering with slow speed in an open space - I will exercise it this
              weekend).
    • ianek70 Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 13.03.06, 16:12
      usenetposts napisał:


      > The accelerator has jammed, the brakes have burned out and I'm trapped in my
      > BMW doing 130mph
      > By Nick Britten

      That's never happened to me in all my 3 decades of using public transport.

      > "I told them to send an ambulance because I was going to die.

      Wouldn't a hearse have been a better idea? I'm sure if they'd known he was a
      BMW-driver they'd have sent an appropriately expensive funky one with a siren
      and flashing lights.
      • nasza_maggie Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 15.03.06, 11:49
        Guys, stop showing offsmile)))))))))))))))))

        You'll never guess what car I havesmile)))))))
        • portulaco Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 15.03.06, 11:59
          Hummm... maggie, you have a.... Mini?

          The old fashion one designed by Sir Aleg Issigonis? smile
          • nasza_maggie Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 15.03.06, 12:00
            I wishsmile That will be my next car, although driving a mini on Polish roads is a
            little like being a stuntpersonsmile

            Not far off though.
            • portulaco Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 15.03.06, 12:03
              sad So... A Citroen Deux Chevaux?

            • the_real_kris Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 15.03.06, 12:09
              In that case it must be sth small - I suspect either fiat bambino or an
              equivalent. Well, maybe micra.
              • usenetposts Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 15.03.06, 12:14
                maybe a Twingo?
                • nasza_maggie Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 15.03.06, 12:17
                  nope, nope noooooooooooooooooope smile
                  • ianek70 I know! 15.03.06, 12:24
                    It's one of those blue ones, isn't it?
                    With the thing on it.
                    • portulaco Re: I know! 15.03.06, 12:26
                      Well... a Wołga?
                      • portulaco Re: I know! 15.03.06, 14:28
                        big_grin It's a Wolga insn't it?
                    • usenetposts Re: I know! 15.03.06, 17:09
                      ianek70 napisał:

                      > It's one of those blue ones, isn't it?
                      > With the thing on it.

                      They have to keep the koguty inside the car these days, because of bird flu,
                      you know.

                      I heard people are not allowed to let their pussies roam free either, in case
                      they get a dose of the old tasha grippa.
                      • nasza_maggie Re: I know! 15.03.06, 23:04
                        rotflsmile

                        No it is not a Wołga. I wish it was that big. And Wołgas were not driven by the
                        Police or the Milicja but by the Bezpieka in their long grey coats...

                        I preffered the Warszawa to the Wołga though, when it comes to classic Polish
                        carssmile

                        Keep guessing. You have 3 turns each.
                        Whoever wins, gets a bottle of vodka at the next meetingwink
                        • portulaco Re: I know! 16.03.06, 08:55
                          Maggie... don't you tell me you're driving a FSO Syrena? My father in law used to drive one, it's so nice, maybe one day I will restore one smile

                          I would like to have a Wołga as second car mostly because people don't even dare to try any smart manouver when they see one, a real can opener smile)
                          • ianek70 Re: I know! 16.03.06, 10:07
                            It's a Reliant Robin.
                            Or a T-54 tank.
                            Or an Aston Martin like in Goldfinger, with machine guns and an ejector seat.
                            Or a little plastic tractor.
        • usenetposts Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 15.03.06, 12:02
          nasza_maggie napisała:

          > Guys, stop showing offsmile)))))))))))))))))
          >
          > You'll never guess what car I havesmile)))))))

          Mitsubishi Pajero?
        • firemouse Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 16.03.06, 15:38
          Tramwaj.
          Or beloved Ikarus 280.
          Err.. or Maybach. smile
          • ianek70 Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 16.03.06, 15:44
            firemouse napisał:

            > Tramwaj.
            > Or beloved Ikarus 280.
            > Err.. or Maybach. smile

            Teleportation.
            It's available on certain mobile phone networks, but only in Warsaw.
    • ianek70 Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 16.03.06, 15:54
      usenetposts napisał:

      > A spokesman for BMW, which wants to examine the wrecked car, said: "We are
      > unaware of any issues of that nature with that particular model."
      >

      That's a very German thing to say in the circumstances.
      A Scottish car manufacturer would say, "Look! Our seats are jobby-proof!"
      • nasza_maggie Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 20.03.06, 00:18
        no
        no
        no
        smile)))))))
        • portulaco Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 20.03.06, 08:35
          Because of this quiz I even dream with you Maggie smile))

          In the dream I asked you if your car was a 70's FIAT 127 and you were quite surprised how I guessed smile

          By the way... do you have short hair cut and blue eyes? wink
          • nasza_maggie Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 20.03.06, 20:47
            wow!
            No it is not a fiat, close enoughsmile
            I have blue eyes yes. But the hair is longsmile
            • portulaco Re: A harrowing story - trapped in speeding car! 21.03.06, 08:43
              Ok... so my dream girl was not to accurate smile)))))

              What it can be close to a FIAT? Must be FIAT Group... maybe a Alfa Romeo Spyder?

              Noooo... are you driving a Polonez!?
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