Back In 2006 a driver exiting the freeway driving a Toyota Camry slammed into the rear of a vehicle, killing three people. At his trial the driver claimed that he was unable to stop the Toyota Camry, but the prosecution alleged that the man had hit the gas, not the brakes. The jury believed this is what had happened and the man was convicted and sent to prison for eight years. But now with the revelations of potential problems with the Toyota Camry coming to light, the man is asking for a new trial.

During the trial it was reported that the vehicle had been inspected and it was found that there was nothing wrong with the brakes. But this was before anyone knew about the acceleration problems. What is known is that there were problems in the 1996 Toyota Camrys that the company stated were for malfunctioning cruise control units. The vehicles were recalled but it is unknown if the recall included the Camry driven by the man in prison.

A recent article states:

Even the victims’ relatives — who condemned Lee at his sentencing — now support him.

“I hope to get to the bottom of it and find the truth,” said Quincy Adams, who survived the crash but lost three relatives, including his son.  “I feel that the boy is innocent.”

Prosecutors are also keeping an open mind.  Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner said her office welcomes another look at the car and will address the issue if new evidence is discovered.

“We have no interest in an innocent man staying behind bars,” she said.  “But we need evidence that a wrongful conviction occurred.”

One driver complained last year that a ’96 Camry started accelerating without warning and reached speeds of 60 to 70 miles an hour.  “He had to crash into a tree and another vehicle to stop the car,” the complaint said.

No matter what happens, the sad part is that three people lost their lives in the fatal crash. With the current problems Toyota is having it does make one wonder how long this problem has been happening and what the car company knew or didn’t know about the malfunctioning accelerators.

Comments welcome.

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