Toyota Dealer Demands Further Investigation over Fatal Crash

December 11, 2009

El Cajon, California - After the release of sheriff’s report that links a Toyota car dealer to a crash that killed California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and three of his family members, the company’s lawyer said further investigation is needed to determine the “true cause of the accident.”

Few days ago, a 61-page sheriff’s report was released showing that Saylor called the dealer three days before the crash to report that his rented car was accelerating on its own even if the engine was in neutral.

The report also showed that Saylor had previously told the company receptionist that the gas pedal became trapped while he was driving but he managed to dislodge it from the floor mat.

In response to this report which blames car dealer Bob Baker Lexus El Cajon for failing to immediately act on Saylor’s complaints, Jim Marinos, the company’s legal representative, said the “accident was not caused by a single problem but a combination of several circumstances.”

“The report was only a local perspective and further investigation should be done since the accident is far more complex”, Marinos said.

Last August, Saylor was driving a Lexus car when the gas pedal was stuck under the floor mat. His brother-in-law Chris Lastrella called 911 and told the dispatcher that the car was accelerating on its own.

Moments later, the operator heard a woman screaming followed by a loud crash.

According to investigators, the car has rolled several times before bursting into flames, killing instantly all the passengers including Saylor’s wife and 13-year-old daughter.