US woman survives runaway vehicle scare

By David Zalstein | August 27th, 2012

FIND DEALS

An Iowa woman has been caught-up in a police chase in Missouri as local state troopers tried to help the woman stop her 2011 Kia Sorento that allegedly had had its accelerator become stuck while travelling at more than 160km/h.

Lori Ubelstad, reportedly aged 47, told police that after initial attempts to stop the car failed, including calling her husband for help, she dialed 911.

Two troopers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol arrived just in time to see – and record – the action unfold on Interstate 35, with one trooper following the stray Kia Sorento while the other focused on clearing a path in front of the vehicle.

Troopers followed the Koren SUV for more than 30 minutes over a distance of about 95km before the vehicle came to a stop in Iowa, near the Iowa-Missouri border. Reports say the engine was still running and police were not sure what caused the car to finally stop.

Troopers escort driver after accelerator gets stuck

According to police, the Sorento’s brakes were burnt out, the gearbox had failed and Ubelstad was unable to remove the car’s key as the vehicle employs a push button start ignition system.

Much of the event was reminiscent of a local 2009 event that saw police involved when 22-year-old Chase Weir claimed he couldn’t deactivate the cruise control of his 2002 Ford Explorer while traveling on Victoria’s Eastern Freeway.

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Jazrod

In order to turn the engine off when in motion, with most push button start systems, you hold the starter button down for 10+ seconds. Tried it out in my XR5T and it worked and also tried it out, out of curiosity with my Aunty’s A5.
- TG
  
  10 seconds is a long time, too long if there’s a critical emergency situation…
  
  Toyota’s Smart Start – you hold the button in for 3 seconds and it kills the the ignition. From 2011 onwards, they changed it so you can also kill the ignition by pressing the button 3 times quickly.
- Mark
  
  That is not very good for the engine Jazrod, and i dont think your aunty would have been too happy if you mucked up her audi A5.
F1

Why do these things happen to Americans only?

I’m sure it’s due to the fact that they don’t know how to drive and differentiate the brake pedal from accelerator..
- Jim
  
  The article says car was going for 30 minutes, the police found that the brakes were burnt out and the gearbox had failed. I don’t think it was a matter not knowing how to drive and/or differentiate between the brake and accelerator pedals. Also, the article mentions that a similar event happened to an Australian in Australia in 2009. So it’s not just happening to Americans.
  - jefflexus
    
    My wife exsperianced the same yhing August 15, 2012 in Oregon. The dealer modified the accelerator pedal but said no problems with brakes or tranny even after I told them the car shakes when applying the brakes. It may have been the floor carpet caught caught, Issue is if it had been caught on tape would have been different outcome with dealer.
  - JamesB
    
    How can a car continue running with gearbox failure? Even without brakes, the laws of physics state the vehicle will eventually lose its momentum when no energy keeps it going.
    - Nasal Explorer
      
      Maybe the gearbox failure was why it stopped in the end?
- Mark
  
  Your right F1
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Kapp/100002328704850 Karl Kapp
    
    Some can’t drive, and some have only 2nd grade education and don’t know the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’.
- Richard10
  
  its because they all drive automatics and the roads are so straight with traffic moving at constant speeds. In other countries, you won’t be able to go far without hitting something.
Noddy of Toyland

I’ll go 160km/h on the highway while pretending to call the police on my phone, then blame the manufacturer of the car I’m driving. Perfect plan!
- Niggj
  
  Yeah Americunts have a tendency to sue everyone!
Maple leaf

If you have a co passenger, get them to remove the batteries in the key fob. Car will stop.
- Camski
  
  This is false. Most keyless systems require the key to be in the car to start the car, however the key can then be removed from the car, which will continue to run until turned off like normal (or it runs out of fuel/malfunctions/flat battery etc.). The car won’t be able to be restarted until the key is within the vehicle (personally tested in Mercedes, Lexus and BMW’s keyless systems).
  
  Also, with the battery removed (or with a flat battery), most systems will still work by; placing the key somewhere around (depending on manufacturer) the Start/Stop button – in the event your key battery dies with no available replacement.
- http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah
  
  Not likely, most cars with smart keys will remain on even if the key is thrown out the window. They will just consistently beep to let you know the key is not detected.
  - Camski
    
    Not sure why my post is awaiting moderation, but Alborz is right.
    
    Swapping between cars (Lexus, Merc and BMW’s keyless systems) with other drivers, it’s easiest to leave them running, swap cars and then forget about the key, as long as no one turns off their car.
Teslacoil

If I’m not mistaken, many modern automatic gearlevers are just switches. Along with push button start, electric brake, electronic throttle, electric steering, there is no physical link between the driver and car anymore.

Thats why I drive a manual. Shift it to neutral, pull the handbrake, done.
Daniel

This is what I don’t like about modern cars; there is no mechanical way of stopping them. Electronic parking brakes, electronic start/stop…electronic everything! I love things to be electronic but I really wish it was law to keep just one mechanical sure thing so you can stop the car if by incredibly tiny chances this happens. I don’t know all the details of this, but at the very least it’s a reminder that this could potentially happen because electronics fail!
- Zaccy16
  
  Yeah your right Daniel! in modern auto cars you can not take the key out of the ignition until its in park! also on a different subject in my 2011 polo TSI DSG it does a very German thing that it doesnt let you toot the horn or have the lights on low beam until the key in on the on position!
- Sydlocal
  
  There is nothing stopping the driver slipping the transmission into neutral…
  - Zaccy16
    
    Thats what i thought to, it would have gradually slowed down with the engine reving and maximum rpms
  - Daniel
    
    I wonder if you could do that on the JLR gearbox with the rotary dial, or the BMW gearbox? Because neither of them are mechanical motions, they rely on electrics. I’m not saying this as a fact because I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if most cars had some system in place that could lock up the gearbox if the system failed.
Martin

What can be done to stop a car in this situation? My car has a start button so it would be interesting to know.
Zaccy16

This shows how dumb americans are! guessing its a auto sorrento because its in america so why didnt she put it into neutral and let it gradually slow down?
- Drbern77
  
  did you read the story? it was jammed!
  - Zaccy16
    
    It did not say it couldnt go into neutral!
- Getyourfactsright
  
  hmm dude.. i think more americans take up manuals than us lazy australians who jsut auto all the way..
Schn

This may seem a bit absurd, but maybe throw the keys out the window may work. Then the system will detect no key and hence, the engine will possibly stop. But, I doubt I could’ve thought of that in such a situation.
peddy.d

There was that korean family who had a sticky accelerator issue with their NF Sonata in Korea a few months ago, with a camera on the windscreen showing it smashing at 160km/hr. I really hope this isn’t a mainstream problem across all Hyundai/Kia models and there is an official from the manufacturer soon. Also would putting the car in neutral have stopped the car from further acceleration?
- peddy.d
  
  i meant to say official report
  - Noddy of Toyland
    
    Peddy.file
Robin_Graves

Only in America. I dont understand how the tranny failed, if it was locked in drive, did it overheat? Normally potentiometer based throttle systems use two independent potentiometers and if they dont match the engine goes into limp mode and throws up a Malfunction Indicator Light. I personally hate pushbutton starters, most idiotic gimmick around.
Dee

We have two 2012 Kia’s, one SUV Sportage and a keyless start Kia Rio.
Now I wonder what the unions paid this woman to get the Kia down graded, since they are selling so well.If this woman can drive that well and talk on her phone and reach down to pull up on her gas petal, then she should be a race car driver.
- DanielD
  
  What the heck does “the unions” have to do with this story? Might as well blame alien interference from another galaxy if you are going after wild conspiracy stories.
  - Sydlocal
    
    NOTE: I am NOT saying this was caused by “the unions” and I agree with you about wild conspiracy theories. However the United Auto Workers Union in the US is very powerful and has a history of not playing well with others (ie non-union auto manufacturers in the US). They were also one of the contributing factors to the “big 3′s financial woes” a few years ago.
    - GJ2012
      
      syd……shut up………the UAW saved the auto industry a few years ago and contiues to sacrafice…
      - Mel Stark
        
        yeah, right. Most UAW retirees have a 2nd home in AZ to go along with the summer home in WI.
        
        I can’t even afford the one I have.
        
        Besides, you guys still own GM! I lost $$ big time when obammy took gm ownership away from the stock owners.
Springvale Boi

Why not just bump the gear level into N (neutral).

Why not move the gear lever into 1 or L. Where the max speed is about 70kmh at max engine RPM (~6,500RPM), depending on the gearing of the gearbox.

Why not push and hold onto the start/stop button (for seconds) to force the engine to stop.

These should be taught when the people are getting their driving lessons.
Brendokick

I guess the brake lights also failed because you never see them come on during the entire video.
Something stinks here.
Alexpaynter

I wonder how there can be 2 failures at once. The brakes being burnt is understandable but for the gearbox to fail is very strange. Maybe she tried putting it into a lower gear rather than just using neutral.

My guess is that she was multi tasking. Using the throttle and brake at the same time.
Person

This is why you don’t buy Asian cars people
TG

Why is my reply to Jazrod moderated?!? Please fix CA, important info in the reply.
Save It For The Track

Definitely more cases popping up that show the potential issues of going too electric. All cars should have mechanical park brakes (preferably a hand brake), and all should be able to be put into neutral or turn the key off. Most modern cars if put into neutral will not rev to maximum, but will only rev to a lower pre-determined point. Even there is some sort of electrical or computer failure, there should be a mechanical solution, like turning the key off, or putting into neutral and using the hand brake to come to a complete stop when the speed gets low enough.
Christes82

This is total BS. I have a sportage and if you hold the stop/start button for 5+ seconds the ignition is turned off.
Robin_Graves

Its probably a sport mode ‘tiptronic’ – either way, the ECU wont let the gearbox change to a lower gear if the roadspeed is too high for that gear.
- http://twitter.com/TangoDJVince Vinny Bagofsausages
  
  Sure but you can easily move the gear into neutral.
  - Robin_Graves
    
    Maybe seppos have some interlock where you cannot pick neutral while moving? Otherwise all these WOT stories are utter BS
Dkr622

I mentioned unions because the manufacture is not union and the Kia’s are selling well, which takes sells away from the union made cars.
Our 2012 Kias were made in Georgia, in the USA.
Ken

I have the same car and I can’t understand how the accelerator got stuck with the carpet. Unless the accelerator is different in America, the accelerator in Australia is attached to the floor with the top section moving when pressed. Anyway, the gearbox will go into neutral if required and holding the start button will switch off the engine. Pop it into Neutral, apply the brakes and switch off the engine if it continues to rev. Not hard really.
I’m just happy that my car can drive at that speed, travel on the central median around slower traffic and maintain stability with a woman driver who is on the phone. The electronic aids must work well.
F1

This must be some sort of setup!

Brakes failed, gearbox failed and accelerator got stuck??? I mean come on!!
GJ2012

If this would have happened when a man was driving this car the comments here would be completly different….don’t you think after a half an hour of careening down a freeway at 100 mph she would have tried everything? Bottom line is the manufacturer needs to do a complete investigation and own the problem with the vehicle it is producing!!!!!!! No matter if it was a woman, teenager, man, elderly driving that car..no matter who built it or where….union or no union which is completely irrelevant…….there is a problem…..FIND IT…..
- Jerome
  
  Found it…. the driver’s an idiot.
Inspector Rex

I distinctly heard the reader call the car an i35! and later the name Sorrento comes out. So what is the car a Kia or an Hyundai. Probably matters the same to Hyundai and Kia.
Garyemond

Amazing how the public and Medea just suck this all in. Cars don’t mysteriously take off. If the public only understood the fail safe features built in they would soon realize it is human error and not the car. People pile up carpets, panic when they push the accelerator instead of the brake. If you watch the full video of this chase it will amaze you how the brake lights don’t work until the chase is over. There is no smoking wheels due to the extensive overheating if the brakes and if the brakes were overheated from trying to stop then why is it when the case is over, the brake lights suddenly work, the vehicle rocks to a stop when the brakes are applied. C’mon people , wake up and smell the coffee, you just need to learn how to drive. Or just start taking the bus because every many factor now use throttle by wire.
Nasal Explorer

Yes, 10 seconds is too long. Better to just keep driving for 1/2 hour at 160kph.
The Salesman

Lawsuit? 15 minutes of fame? people do crazy things to get attention and make themselves famous. I bet at this moment she trying to gain financially.
You never see the brake lights come on, there is no smoke off the wheels once the car has stopped and, i refuse to believe the car would not shift into neutral.
Remember the bloke who released a home made hot air balloon and told the media his kids were inside it. The kids were found in the attic of his home later the same day.
Dee

She was on TV new laughing about it. Probably laugh all the way to the bank.