Marika Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 'Help, I'm doing 135mph and can't stop' By Thair Shaikh Published: 11 March 2006 A quiet Sunday afternoon drive home from visiting friends turned into a terrifying 135mph ordeal for a motorist after the accelerator on his BMW jammed and the car's brakes failed. For almost 60 miles, Kevin Nicolle, 25, weaved between lorries and other cars on the A1 as he desperately tried to avoid crashing his automatic 3-series. Disaster struck last Sunday as he was driving through the Yorkshire Dales along the A1, on his way home to Portsmouth after visiting friends in Newcastle upon Tyne. As he passed Thirsk, he took his foot off the accelerator, but the car speeded up. "The pedal was stuck to the floor. The whole thing was just a blur. I was terrified, hysterical and crying," he said. Mr Nicolle, a former lorry driver, called the AA, who told him to call the police. They dispatched four patrol cars and a helicopter. For a while he was able to bring his speed down to 70mph by using the brakes. He also tried to slip the car into neutral, but without success because the gears were also jammed: "I couldn't turn the ignition off because it would have disabled the power steering and made it even more dangerous," he said. He passed through three counties, travelling up to 130mph at times, on a hellish 26-minute journey. The policewoman on the end of the line said they would attempt a "rolling-stop", boxing in the car with other police vehicles to gradually slow it down. But it was too late - the brakes burnt out and the car began to accelerate again, with Mr Nicolle gripping the steering wheel in terror. "I saw the dial going past 100mph, 115, 120 ... I was praying for police cars to show up but they couldn't catch me. I was reaching 135mph ... I honestly thought I was going to die." As he drove, Mr Nicolle sounded his horn and flashed his lights to warn other vehicles and overtook cars on the verge of the fast lane. Police told him to drive on the hard shoulder where he shot past several slip roads. Then he saw the sign: Roundabout 800 yards. It was a raised roundabout with a grassy crest. "That's when I said, 'I ain't surviving this'." A long queue of cars blocked the way to the Blyth roundabout near Worksop - Mr Nicolle swerved before crashing and flipping his car over. "I didn't deliberately crash the car ... it started to fill with smoke but I said to the firemen: 'Don't cut my car, you'll damage it'." He left the car with barely a scratch. Police have examined the car and said he will not face prosecution. A spokesman for BMW said: "We are unaware of any issues of that nature with that particular model." http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_brit...ticle350639.ece If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeal1892 Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 wow, its always something ! michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I'd have killed the ignition and taken my chances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted March 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I'd have killed the ignition and taken my chances. That's what my mechanic said, kill the ignition and take the chance. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I'd have killed the ignition and taken my chances. Absolutely. Engine would slow down the car in gear pretty quickly. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbuc Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I'd have killed the ignition and taken my chances. That's what my mechanic said, kill the ignition and take the chance. Being on a highway with such long, gradual turns....manual steering should have been more than enough. Especially in a BMW. That guy was a tool, for not cutting the ignition. I had my car die on me in the middle of an intersection, and I was still able to turn it. A 3 series should ahve had no problem what so ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprucegoose Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I'd have killed the ignition and taken my chances. Yup, that is exactly what you have to do... Years ago I had this exact same thing happen when my Sears installed cruise control on my 82 Trans AM locked on at near full-throttle when I hit the resume button! I punched it as I was passing a car, and flipped the resume switch as I pulled back in front. Soon I realized the car was going way beyond the speed I had set. I tapped the brakes as it continued to accelerate, hit the "Off" switch on the cruise and it was up to about 90 MPH by this time... I pushed in the clutch and the engine reved to redline, so I killed the ignition and brought it down to the side of the road. Yeah, my adrenaline was going pretty good, and my wife was screaming at me! She thought I was clowning around like I have a tendancy to do at times! Checked under the hood and it looked fine, no stuck throttle linkage or anything obvious. It did this to me one more time on the return trip, and I brought it back to Sears. They installed a completely new unit for no charge. From my experience, it is not all that difficult to steer a car that is not under power. I have had to steer and brake while towing plenty in the past that didn't have it. Obviously the more turns in the road the harder it would be, but I wouldn't want to be without brakes there either! '09 Cadillac CTS-4 3.6 direct injection, 128 K mi. '15 Chevy Tahoe LTZ, 5.3i V8, 125 K mi '70 Firebird Formula 400, Bored+.04, RAIII heads, M21 4spd., in-process restoration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 Had he been driving a Cadillac, he'd have had a vacuum reservoir to provide another brake application after the engine was shut down. Even without that, all he had to do after killing the ignition was lock the parking brake an let it slow the car down, albeit slowly. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced he should be charged with public endangerment as well as stupidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjtjwdad Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I had a similar experience with my Bronco after I got it. COme to find out, mine was induced by the floor mat slidding FWD and when I floored it, the lower edge of the gas peddle jammed on it. I was able to get it off w/o issue, but before I knew it I was doing 80 MPH on a country road. I'm a lot like you folks, I'd killed the switch (too accessory) and took my chances. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chazglenn3 Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 Yeah...it always amazes me when I read these stories, but the driver never thinks about turning off the ignition! Charles Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 Total BS, ripped from the pages of the Daily News! All cars come with an emergency brake, even bimmers. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 Johnny, I would disagree only in that it technically is a parking brake. Not of much use in an emergency. In this case it would have been a very very slow deceleration, but even that is better than acceleration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 What a TOOL! Who in their right mind would travel 60 miles at 135mph—Crying like a little girl no less! Give me a break! At that speed he could have turned off the ignition and coasted to a stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 Here is a question. That guy claimed he could not switch to neutral. If he turnd the ignition off the engine connected to wheels by tranny still would rotate the accessories including the stearing pump and brakes right? So what was the problem with stearing anyway? All this story seems to be total BS made up with someone. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 Here is a question. That guy claimed he could not switch to neutral. If he turnd the ignition off the engine connected to wheels by tranny still would rotate the accessories including the stearing pump and brakes right? So what was the problem with stearing anyway? All this story seems to be total BS made up with someone. I don't know how BMWs operate but the story does sound like B.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted March 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 Here is a question. That guy claimed he could not switch to neutral. If he turnd the ignition off the engine connected to wheels by tranny still would rotate the accessories including the stearing pump and brakes right? So what was the problem with stearing anyway? All this story seems to be total BS made up with someone. I don't know how BMWs operate but the story does sound like B.S. The best part is the cops themselves. They were going to attempt to force the car into a rolling stop by using police cars to box it it. HOW???? A car that won't stop, won't stop. You're right guys, the more I think of this, the more I realize the story is a lie and the guy was out there just playing around. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted tcb Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 I think somebody watched a "Speed" marathon then fabricated the story. No way, no how would somebody drive at full throttle for 1 hour, dodge traffic, have a chance to converse with the local constabulary via cell phone, and get out alive. Just wouldn't happen anywhere but Hollywood. There's no way you could overcome your impulse to turn off the engine. In real life, most of us have had a jammed throttle due to heavy winter floormats wedging up under the accelerator pedal. I've also had throttles freeze up on snowmobiles, and had engines die on motorcycles in the middle of leaning curves ( rode my Goldwing for 2 years like this, just got used to firing her back up in motion ... not very bright, I'll grant you). In everycase, I've either fixed the problem (adjusting the floor mat in motion), or just glided the machine to a stop with the engine off. So no, I don't believe that some englishman turned into Jackie Stewart for 1 hour at 135mph, as the roads and traffic wouldn't permit it. As an aside, 3 vehicles have driven into my place of business this winter. Two were senior women, one was a middle age woman. Every lady told me the same thing ... the car accelerated when their foot was firmly planted on the brake. Just like the late lamented Audi 5000, people panic and hit the go pedal, then blame their cars. 1989 FWD Fleetwood, Silver 1995 STS Crimson Pearl on Black leather 1997 STS Diamond White 1999 STS Crimson Pearl 2001 STS Silver 2003 STS, Crimson Pearl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 Yeah , but guys if this is actually true and you were going 135 mph or whatever he was going, would you acutally really think about all this stuff. Because im only 16 and i was driving my dads 98 chev lumina and the pedal stuck down on me a couple weeks ago. I was goin 50 kms and i punched it and got goin a bit faster and the accelerator stuck down and by the end of it before i basically ripped the pedal off i was goin 100 kms in a 50 zone. The only i could think about was about trying not to die. We took the car into the shop and the mechanic just told us that the pedal just got stuck my dad replied "well were gettin rid of this car." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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