Did Bankrupt Runaway Prius Driver Fake "Unintended Acceleration?"

[tinrobot]

James Sikes, the San Diego runaway Toyota Prius driver, filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and now has over $700,000 in debt. According to one anonymous tipster, we're also told he hasn't been making payments on his Prius.

We received an email earlier today from an anonymous tipster who claims James (Jim) Sikes, the driver of the runaway Toyota Prius, was in financial trouble and even behind by five months on his payments for the Prius. If that's true, it's potential motivation for wanting to find an out — any out — on paying for the vehicle.

We did some public records searches (thanks to the help of Gawker's John Cook) and found Sikes and his wife Patty found themselves, like many in the California real estate business, on the bursting side of the real estate bubble last year. The two declared bankruptcy in June of 2008 and have a combined liability of over $700,000 dollars in debt.

Among the list of creditors holding secured claims is none other than Toyota Financial Services for a lease on a 2008 Toyota Prius with 7,200 miles on the odometer. Total value of the lease at the time of bankruptcy was $20,494.

more: http://jalopnik.com/5491101/did-bankrupt-runaway-prius-driver-fake-unintended-acceleration

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The story always sounded fishy to me. The unintended acceleration lasted for over 20 minutes, and he even had time to call 911 from his "out of control" car.

[Shell Beau]

1. I will believe it happened until proven otherwise.

It may be a fraud, but Toyota isn't exactly in good standing right now.

[PBS Poll-435]

2. Fishy doesn't even begin to describe the problems with his "story." nt

[NYC_SKP]

3. Yes. n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Well, that's very interesting.

I wonder how this will play out.

[theoldman]

5. I still question why he did not shift to neutral as directed.

Are people so stupid that they have not learned this after months of listening to the news? I have to admit that I don't think there was a problem with the car.

[PBS Poll-435]

10. The 2008 Prius is really complicated. And the lessee had only been driving it for a short time

And everyone knows that the quickest way to flip a car is to put it into neutral.

[rrneck]

11. How do you flip a car by putting it in neutral? nt

[PBS Poll-435]

12. In a normal car? You really can't unless there is some eratic steering.

In a Prius, it is an optional feature!

[Fumesucker]

13. Please tell me that was snark.. n/t

[PBS Poll-435]

14. Yep

Well...kind of. I was just compiling all the strange excuses I have heard into one central location.

[LoZoccolo]

6. And he happened to be driving somewhere where he could go 85 for 20 minutes...

...without going through a stop light or anything.

[Incitatus]

7. How many people filed for bankruptcy in this economy?

[liberal N proud]

8. A story on a blog for Toyota owners changes everything

What smells in this story?

[tinrobot]

9. It's not a blog for Toyota owners.

Jalopnik is a blog about all types of cars.

Here's another article that has the entire 24 minute 911 call he placed.

http://jalopnik.com/5489687/the-full-24+minutes+long-runaway-prius-911-tape

Listen and do your own smell test.