Latest entry in the WTF Dept. ......

The accelerator has jammed, the brakes have burned out and I'm trapped in my BMW doing 130mph
By Nick Britten
(Filed: 11/03/2006)
Link....


A motorist was trapped in his car driving at almost 130mph for 60 miles after the accelerator jammed.

Kevin Nicolle, 25, was unable to stop the automatic BMW going at top speed after the malfunction on the A1.

 
Kevin Nicolle: 'I couldn't get the pedal off the floor'

His terrifying journey, which was followed by four police cars and a helicopter, ended when he smashed the car into a roundabout, flipping it on its roof.

Amazingly, the former lorry driver walked away from the accident uninjured.

"The whole thing was just a blur," he said. "I can't get it out of my head. I was terrified, hysterical and crying.

"Every time I close my eyes I remember it.

"It's a miracle I didn't collide with another vehicle or cause a pile-up, but I had a lot of close shaves with lorries and cars and swerved about trying to avoid them."

Mr Nicolle was driving back from friends in Newcastle to his home in Southsea, Hants, last Sunday, when the accelerator on his automatic BMW 318 jammed at Catterick, near junction 53 of the A1.

He then travelled 60 miles in 26 minutes, passing through three counties.

 
"I had been driving for quite a while when I realised the accelerator pedal was stuck down," he said. "I had gone into the fast lane and I couldn't get the pedal off the floor. I used my hands-free phone and tried the AA to ask them what to do.

"At that point I wasn't panicking because I jammed my foot on the brake and that was keeping the speed to a steady 70mph.

"I told the AA I couldn't slow down. I thought they might be able to give me some advice but they told me to hang up straight away and phone the police. I dialled 999 and spoke to a woman and by this time I was starting to panic because the speed of the car had increased to 100mph."

Police alerted a helicopter and four traffic cars set off to try to catch him as Mr Nicolle kept up a running commentary, all the time flashing his lights and sounding his horn to warn other motorists.

"My brakes were burning out and starting to fail - that's when the speed really started to build," he said. "I could see the speed building to 120mph or 130mph. I remember starting to shake and freeze up. I was really panicking and broke into tears. I couldn't help it because I thought I was definitely going to die.

"I was trying to slip the car into neutral but because the car was over-revving and red-lining I couldn't do it.

"I couldn't turn off the ignition because it would have disabled the power steering and made it even more dangerous. I was even shouting at the other drivers to get out of the way, I was getting hysterical. The traffic was getting heavier and I had to take drastic measures.

"I overtook someone on the verge outside the fast lane and police told me to get on to the hard shoulder. But I passed three or four slip roads and at one point I nearly T-boned someone trying to get on from the slip road.

"The woman operator told me the police were about half a mile behind me but they were finding it difficult to catch me.

"I told them to send an ambulance because I was going to die. I knew I was going to die.

"Then I saw a sign saying it was 800 yards to a round-about. There was a queue of cars and I swerved round them then I tried to go round the roundabout itself.

"I didn't deliberately try to crash the car to stop myself. I remember saying to the fireman, 'Don't cut my car, you'll damage it' but they were saying, 'Don't worry about that mate, it's written off'. I'd buy another BMW because, although there was a problem, it saved my life in that crash."

Mr Nicolle overturned the car at the Blyth roundabout near Worksop. Nottinghamshire police confirmed his version of events.

A spokesman said: "Kevin was monitored doing in excess of 100mph and is lucky to have walked away with minor injuries.

"He phoned 999 to say that his brakes weren't working and was terrified for his life."

The racing green R-reg car, which Mr Nicolle had had for a year, has been examined by police and he has been told he will not face prosecution.

A spokesman for BMW, which wants to examine the wrecked car, said: "We are unaware of any issues of that nature with that particular model."

There is so much bullshit in that story it stinks from here.

Quoted: There is so much bullshit in that story it stinks from here.

Couldn't slip it into neutral?

C'mon.

Quoted: There is so much bullshit in that story it stinks from here.

+1!

From an accompanying article:

"Perhaps the biggest mystery of this case is how the old BMW managed to achieve the 130mph that Mr Nicolle claimed of it.

When a new 318i model with manual transmission was tested by Autocar magazine in July 1998, it achieved only 125mph."

Um... what happened that the key got stuck in the "on" position, and the gearshift couldn't go into neutral?  Stopping from over 100 without power brakes would suck, but it's far better than the alternatives.

I'm sure it was stressful for him, but I think he should have been able to figure that out in 30 minutes.

He couldn't turn the key off?

What a tool.  Turn the damn key off.

You can always pull a car's gear selector into neutral.

You can also always turn the key one-notch back, shutting off the engine but still leaving the steering wheel unlocked.


What many people tend to do is panic and try to stomp on the brakes, which glazes the pads in a few seconds and makes the brakes pretty much useless from then on.
~

Hey is either a future darwin award winner for full of

To bad he didn't get it on video.

BULLSHIT

Quoted: What a tool.  Turn the damn key off.

Turning the key off usually locks up your steering. Which means you'd be going 130 with no ability to steer.

No thanks.

Quoted: Quoted: What a tool.  Turn the damn key off. Turning the key off usually locks up your steering. Which means you'd be going 130 with no ability to steer. No thanks.

Most cars have an accessory position that i believe will leave the wheel unlocked.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: What a tool.  Turn the damn key off. Turning the key off usually locks up your steering. Which means you'd be going 130 with no ability to steer. No thanks. Most cars have an accessory position that i believe will leave the wheel unlocked.

Yeah, forgot about that one.

But if I was doing 130 and unable to slow down, I'm not sure I'd be thinking of that. Amazing the police didn't either.

Maybe I should practice my 'turn off engine at high speed' drills more often.

Yup, as a professional driver he decided it would be better to travel at 100 mph for 30min
with reduced braking ability rather than damage his engine by putting it in neutral

Quoted: Yup, as a professional driver he decided it would be better to travel at 100 mph for 30min with reduced braking ability rather than damage his engine by putting it in neutral

It would just bounce off the rev limiter until you got it turned off.

Even if the column locked when the key was turned off, you still could shut off the engine, then turn the key back on.  He's either  full of or was stupid.

Quoted: Quoted: Yup, as a professional driver he decided it would be better to travel at 100 mph for 30min with reduced braking ability rather than damage his engine by putting it in neutral It would just bounce off the rev limiter until you got it turned off.

Yup, it probably has one, no way his story is real

why didn't he just jettison the fuel?

"I was trying to slip the car into neutral but because the car was over-revving and red-lining I couldn't do it.

"I couldn't turn off the ignition because it would have disabled the power steering and made it even more dangerous. I was even shouting at the other drivers to get out of the way, I was getting hysterical. The traffic was getting heavier and I had to take drastic measures.

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Yeah, he DIDN'T WANT to put the car in neutral because he thought it would damage the engine if it was allowed to rev without a load.....................

You really don't need power steering above parking lot speeds................

Plus if he is on the "highway" how much steering does he really need to do? Get into an open spot, turn off the keey, and keep 'er straight..............

it's called neutral. It has a big N indicating where it is
or it's called during off the ignition, although that might screw up some things in the process

He could have shifted down to first too.

130 is nothing on the autobahn so BMWs have brakes built for stopping even if the accelerator is held down. He is lying unless English BMWs get brakes built for GMs

Quoted: Stopping from over 100 without power brakes would suck, but it's far better than the alternatives

You can get two good pumps from the brakes after the ignition is off.

All you need is one.. Just put your foot on the brake pedal and hold. Pump it 3 times then stopping would be a bitch.

But yes.. probably alot more to the story or he is just a dumbass and screamed like a little girl.

The steering won't lock if the car is in gear, even if the engine is off.  

AT cars, (for a long time now anyways), are required to be able to slip into N at any time.

PS isn't neccesary at those speeds, it would have been easy to steer a car going that fast.
(if thats what was implied..)

I doubt the 1.8 liter engine could overpower the brakes to the extent that the car was "over revving",  not to mention go 130mph(which is a stretch for a 3000lb+ car with less than 150hp)

This story is BS of the first degree.

The fact that "mph" is quoted, instead of kmh, basically says it all.  This foreign fuck surely would not have been quoted as saying

I could see the speed building to 120mph or 130mph.

, it would have been in kmh.(from what I know all of Europe uses metric system....)

Quoted:

+1

Umm... duh. If he isn't full of BS, he's the dumbest MFer on the road. First, put it in neutral. It'll just bounce off the rev limiter until you get it stopped. Might damage the engine, but better then doing twice the speed limit on a busy road. Or you could turn the key off, and then back on so your steering doesn't lock up. Better yet, do both. Or, just get a manual.

Guess he finally understood the meaning of "Fahrvergnuegen"......

If you read what the guy was saying you learn a couple things.  One, I suspect that he is gay and most feminine people arent mechanically inclined. Two, he didnt slip it into neutral because it was "red lining" (meaning he was more concerned about blowing his motor then about killing someone else). And third, he didnt turn off the ignition, please refer to my first point.  You can kill the car and turn key to accessory, sure its a bitch but you Can drive without power steering.  Hell, I drove a Jeep for three months without a clutch, power steering, or air conditioning.  Try turning 33" mud grips manually sometime.  Its hard at low speeds but no big deal at highway speeds.  The guy is an idiot and deserves to wreck his car, shame he walked away tho.

Quoted: The steering won't lock if the car is in gear, even if the engine is off.   AT cars, (for a long time now anyways), are required to be able to slip into N at any time. PS isn't neccesary at those speeds, it would have been easy to steer a car going that fast. (if thats what was implied..) I doubt the 1.8 liter engine could overpower the brakes to the extent that the car was "over revving",  not to mention go 130mph(which is a stretch for a 3000lb+ car with less than 150hp) This story is BS of the first degree. The fact that "mph" is quoted, instead of kmh, basically says it all.  This foreign fuck surely would not have been quoted as saying I could see the speed building to 120mph or 130mph. , it would have been in kmh.(from what I know all of Europe uses metric system....)

England uses the miles and pounds, they kinda started it.

But yes, this guy is either lying or a huge moron.

Quoted: The fact that "mph" is quoted, instead of kmh, basically says it all.  This foreign fuck surely would not have been quoted as saying I could see the speed building to 120mph or 130mph. , it would have been in kmh.(from what I know all of Europe uses metric system....)

I don't know the British seem to use about a thousand different units of measure................

Stone (14 lbs), Fortnight (???), Pound (money) (if I have 14 Pounds, can I get a stone?) inches, feet, meters............................ It's like Mr Bean is in charge of weights and measures.

"I couldn't turn off the ignition because it would have disabled the power steering and made it even more dangerous....."


What a moron.  

Quoted: The steering won't lock if the car is in gear, even if the engine is off.   AT cars, (for a long time now anyways), are required to be able to slip into N at any time. PS isn't neccesary at those speeds, it would have been easy to steer a car going that fast. (if thats what was implied..) I doubt the 1.8 liter engine could overpower the brakes to the extent that the car was "over revving",  not to mention go 130mph(which is a stretch for a 3000lb+ car with less than 150hp) This story is BS of the first degree. The fact that "mph" is quoted, instead of kmh, basically says it all.  This foreign fuck surely would not have been quoted as saying I could see the speed building to 120mph or 130mph. , it would have been in kmh.(from what I know all of Europe uses metric system....)

It may be possible...My sister went 120mph with a 2.2 liter C22o Benz LOADED with three other people so it was pretty heavy to, not to mention the baggage in the back.. I was in Cali and on OPEN highway, but still a dumb move for a 16 YEAR OLD

I guess I stand corrected, A lot of European car reviews,mag articles, TV shows(like top gear, which I think is in the UK) and the like, that I read always refer to kph or kmh,  mph is usually the second stat shown, I guess they are writing for all of EU,  I know countries such as france  and Germany use the kph, (I think), oh well..h.gif

It may be possible...My sister went 120mph with a 2.2 liter C22o Benz LOADED with three other people so it was pretty heavy to, not to mention the baggage in the back.. I was in Cali and on OPEN highway, but still a dumb move for a 16 YEAR OLD

not that it matters, but was the C220 a Kompressor? (supercharged model), just curious

Quoted: I guess I stand corrected, A lot of European car reviews,mag articles, TV shows(like top gear, which I think is in the UK) and the like, that I read always refer to kph or kmh,  mph is usually the second stat shown, I guess they are writing for all of EU,  I know countries such as france  and Germany use the kph, (I think), oh well..

Even in the british only show of Top Gear and Fifth Gear they relate to distance and speed in Miles and Miles Per Hour.

I guess I stand corrected again, I'll just STFU now...h.gif

Just to clarify, weight dosent have much to do with top speed just acceleration.

Quoted: I guess I stand corrected again, I'll just STFU now...

No worries. I'm not here to flame or put down.

Major league

BMW speedometers are not 100% accurate at speed. Most M3s, for instance, indicate 175 mph or so when the limiter cuts in. If you look at a GPS, the car is actually doing 155.

And BMWs are faster in top speed than most similar cars, because they have better aerodynamics and higher revving engines.

In a car with a vacuum brake booster, you will not lose power brakes if you shut off the engine while rolling forwards in gear, because the engine is still turning and will generate vacuum.  As long as you leave it in gear, the engine will continue to turn until you stop.

Total crap

Quoted: There is so much bullshit in that story it stinks from here.

1) NEUTRAL

2) KEYS

Although my mother had the accellerator freeze on a 1990 Camry, she only went a few blocks dragging the brakes before she remembered the keys and just turned the damn thing off....


135,.. BTDT, but in a fully functional car on a near-empty freeway.....

I just remembered an incident in High School. I was going 55 on the freeway when my smart-alecky friend reached over to slip it into neutral as a joke but slipped it into reverse instead. The engine stalled and the transmission belts slipped until I could put it into neutral and restart it. A few thousand miles later the transmission needed to be rebuilt. Damn Oldsmobile quality

Quoted: What a tool.  Turn the damn key off.

One time I had a malfunction and my mustang continued to run at top rev (luckily it was in park at the time) even after I "shut if off" and removed the key. Very strange to get out of your car with the engine at top rev in park..... and your holding the key in your hand.

maybe it is not BS,maybe he is THAT FUCKING STUPID.

Hey, I had a '73 Malibu with a rebuilt 350 and a 4-bbl intake & Quadra Jet ( this was in 1979) run away with me on a LA freeway. Only took about a half mile (using the brakes too) to get it to the shoulder and turn the forking key off! Tranny was smoking some, but after I flipped the secondaries closed she ran like a champ until my mom totalled it for me as I was serving in Okinawa (1980).

I had an Irish friend (born & raised in Limerick, Ireland) tell me how much harder it is to get a license in Europe than in America. If this guy isn't lying he is the dumbest bumpkin on the planet. Or definitely from the shallow end of the gene pool!

Quoted: I had an Irish friend (born & raised in Limerick, Ireland) tell me how much harder it is to get a license in Europe than in America. If this guy isn't lying he is the dumbest bumpkin on the planet. Or definitely from the shallow end of the gene pool!

When I took German in high school, I recall reading that (at the time, about 1990) a German driver's license cost about $800 in classes and fees.

I think our German exchange students even got American licenses here, and were amazed that you could (at the time) get a restricted license at 14 years old.

Jim

I think the guy is an idiot. Old tractors didn't have power steering and they weren't exactly speedsters (obviously the guy doesn't understand you don't need power steering at that speed anyway).

On the ignition thing; When you put the key in the ignition, you typically have ACCESSORY/LOCK (where you originally put the key in)/OFF/RUN/START.

All he had to do was click it to OFF and he could still steer without the steering wheel locking. He's just a Dumbass.

WIZZO