SACRAMENTO - Toyota Prius owner Jim Sikes is in the spotlight after reporting the accelerator pedal of his blue 2008 Toyota Prius got stuck, pushing his car to speeds above 90 miles per hour on Interstate 8 in San Diego County on Monday afternoon.
While the California Highway Patrol doesn't question his story, bloggers and radio listeners are wondering whether this is another "balloon boy" style hoax, done for the publicity or the money.
He's been on TV before, and seems to cherish the attention. In 2006 he was on television, winning $55,000 on "The Big Spin." As a real estate agent in San Diego, he boasts of his ********* clients, including Constance Ramos of "Extreme Home Makeover."
Questions were first raised after his 911 call became public. The 61-year-old entrepreneur told the dispatcher, "My car can't slow down."
The operator repeatedly told Sikes to put his Prius into neutral during the more than 20 minute call, but Sikes didn't act on her requests, and didn't try it. He said he was afraid it might slip into reverse.
CHP Officer Todd Neibert also gave instructions to Sikes over a loudspeaker. When his patrol car caught up with the Prius, he smelled burning brakes.
"It's tough for us to say if we're skeptical. I'm mystified in how it could happen with the brake override system," he said.
Neibert says, "The brakes were definitely down to hardly any material."
The Prius finally stopped after Sikes applied the emergency brake and turned off the ignition.
Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations for Toyota Motor Sales, says all Priuses are equipped with a computer system that cuts power to the wheels if the brake and gas pedals are depressed at the same time.
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Two years ago, Sikes filed for bankruptcy in San Diego. Documents show he was more than $700,000 in debt and owed Toyota $19000 for his Prius.
