tags: asian suspect, conviction, deliberate accident, pedal confusion, acceleration defect, product defect, lawsuit, hmong suspect, Minnesota
3 killed, 3 injured June 10, 2006 crash February 4, 2015 verdict Koua Fong Lee Jailed, Released, Toyota 60% Fault for Deadly Acceleration Koua Fong Lee is Hmong who ame to America with his family from a Thailand refugee camp in 2004. He served 2 1/2 years of an 8-year prison sentence for criminal vehicular homicide, following a 2006 car crash that killed three people. Koua Fong Lee was returning home from church on June 10, 2006. He was driving a 1996 Toyota Camry with his pregnant wife, 8-year-old daughter, his brother and father sat in the backseat. As he exited I-94 at 50-55 mph, he claims he took his foot off the accelerator and applied the brake but claims he yelled to his family ”brakes not working!” but the car went faster as he pumped the brakes and dodged vehicles traveling in front of him. He had to go through the red light but sideswiped the vehicle in the center lane, then hit the rear driver-side of the second vehicle, and struck the rear driver-side of another vehicle/ Two people in the second vehicle struck by Mr. Lee's Camry died at the scene and another young girl died a year and a half later. Three others were seriously injured. Attorneys used the national surge in reports of sudden acceleration accidents after his crash to reopen his case and get him exonerated after 2 1/2 years in jail, even though his year of Camry was never recalled for any defects. Lee joined a lawsuit against Toyota, the jury found Toyota 60% at fault, and Lee 40%, and ordered Toyota to pay $10.9 million in damages even though no problems were found with the brakes, the gas pedal was floored after the crash, and the defence never proved their contention that the throttle got stuck farther each time Lee tapped the gas pedal.
Jury divides responsibility of fatal crash: 60% Toyota; 40% Koua Fong Lee (Koua Fong Lee Jailed, Released for Toyota Sudden Acceleration Star Tribune Toyota Motor Corp. must pay $10.9 million in damages for the high-speed crash in St. Paul that cost the lives of three people and sent another man to prison, a federal jury decided Tuesday. Jurors found Toyota 60 percent responsible for a 2006 crash that also sent a St. Paul man to prison for 2 1/2 years. Koua Fong Lee, driver of the 1996 Toyota Camry that crashed into a stopped car at the top of an Interstate 94 exit found 40 percent responsible. “At the time, I did everything to stop my car, but my car did not stop and cost many lives and many people were injured,” Lee said. “Also my life and my family is not the same anymore. So they [Toyota] are responsible for that. (His foot was on the gas when it crashed and there was nothing wrong with the brakes) attorney, Bob Hilliard, argued that when the brakes were repeatedly pumped, they lost their vacuum and no longer worked. Toyota’s attorneys said their tests showed no problem of sticking accelerators or problems with the brakes. Toyota never challenged speculation that each time Lee tapped the gas pedal, the accelerator stuck at higher speeds based on testimony of John Stilson, an auto and safety consultant, who testified for Lee.As a result, Toyota never challenged Stilson’s theory. “The strategy worked,” said Hilliard, smiling, on Tuesday.
*Sources
http://news.yahoo.com/8-years-fatal-crash-toyota-lawsuit-heads-trial-224634209--finance.html innesota driver who went to prison for a crash that killed three people grabbed national attention when he was freed amid reports of Toyota Camrys that would mysteriously accelerate. He always insisted the car was at fault, but spent 2½ years in prison before attorneys could use the national surge in reports of sudden acceleration accidents to reopen his case.
- He told investigators that he pumped the brakes as he exited Interstate 94 in St. Paul, Minnesota
- Investigators found nothing wrong with brakes or cars
- Lee's lawyers found fault with car systems and acceleration defecdts
- Toyota experts believe the gas pedal was floored when it crashed, so his foot was on the pedal by mistake. No one has accused him of flooring it intentionallly directly.
- Koua Fong Lee Story schaferlawfirm Koua Fong Lee came to America with his family from a Thailand refugee camp in 2004, looking for a better life and an education. Instead, Mr. Lee has been serving an 8-year prison sentence for criminal vehicular homicide, following a 2006 car crash that killed three people.....
- wikipedia: 2009–11 Toyota vehicle recalls Release of Toyota driver jailed for fatal crash In February 2010, a motion for retrial was submitted on behalf of a Minnesota man, Koua Fong Lee, who, in 2008, was sentenced to eight years in jail for rear-ending a car, killing three of the five occupants and injuring the other two. This happened in June 2006 when he was driving home from church with his family and exiting the highway. Koua insists that his 1996 Toyota Camry sped up to between 70 and 90 mph despite heavy braking. In May 2010, a vehicle inspector hired by attorneys for the convicted man reported finding problems with the car's accelerator system.[156][157][158] At least two of the jurors from the 2008 trial have questioned the guilty verdict,[159] and one of the injured survivors has filed suit against Toyota and the local dealership that sold the car, stating he believes that the imprisoned man should be set free.[160][161] In June 2010, the County Prosecutor opposed a new trial, stating that she sees no evidence that Koua's Camry experienced "sudden unintended acceleration", and a US District Court Judge has until September 2010 to decide whether or not Koua should be re-tried.[162] In August 2010, the judge ruled that Koua would be re-tried but the prosecutor declined to prosecute. Prior to the ruling, the prosecutor offered release but with the condition that he would still have a felony conviction on his record, barring him from driving privileges for ten years, and that he would be jailed if arrested for anything else. Koua did not agree to such conditions.[163] Later that month, a Minnesota judge freed Koua from prison and the local prosecutor says she would immediately drop the charges.[164]
*Sources
http://news.yahoo.com/8-years-fatal-crash-toyota-lawsuit-heads-trial-224634209--finance.html innesota driver who went to prison for a crash that killed three people grabbed national attention when he was freed amid reports of Toyota Camrys that would mysteriously accelerate. He always insisted the car was at fault, but spent 2½ years in prison before attorneys could use the national surge in reports of sudden acceleration accidents to reopen his case.
'I know that I stepped on the brake,' imprisoned Toyota driver ...
www.twincities.com/ci_14393711
Feb 14, 2010 - Koua Fong Lee, the St. Paul man convicted in a fatal crash involving his ... brake that day in June 2006, as both his trial attorney and prosecutors contended. ... He yelled to his family that the brakes weren't working, swerved from the ... When his children visit him, he said, "I tell them that they should try really ...Koua Fong Lee, the St. Paul man convicted in a fatal crash involving his Toyota Camry, said he still believes he did everything he could to stop the car.St. Paul Pioneer Press
"I know that I stepped on the brake," Lee said in an interview Friday at Lino Lakes state prison, where he is serving an eight-year sentence. "I was pressing it to the max, but it wasn't working."
The Hmong immigrant said he did not step on the accelerator instead of the brake that day in June 2006, as both his trial attorney and prosecutors contended.
A jury found that Koua Fong Lee had exhibited "gross negligence" and returned guilty verdicts on nine counts ranging from criminal vehicular homicide to careless driving. The crash killed three people.
Koua Fong Lee, now 32, gave much the same account of the crash as he had at his trial.
He and his family were heading home from church at about 4:30 on a pleasant June afternoon. His pregnant wife, their 4-year-old daughter, his brother and his father were in the car.
They took the Snelling Avenue exit from eastbound Interstate 94, where they had been traveling at highway speeds, he said at his 2007 trial.
When they got on the ramp and approached the red light at Snelling, he took his foot off the gas and pressed the brake, Koua Fong Lee said.
"When I stepped on the brake, nothing happened," he said. He yelled to his family that the brakes weren't working, swerved from the left lane to the middle and then to the right to avoid cars. It didn't work: He was unable to stop before crashing into an Oldsmobile Ciera at a speed as high as 90 mph, according to an accident-reconstruction expert....Before coming to St. Paul in 2004, Koua Fong Lee spent 20 years in a Thai refugee camp. He said he and his wife both planned, when they arrived, to go to college and improve their lives.
Toyota Lawsuit Archives - A Road to Freedom
trulinespublishing.com/category/toyota-lawsuit/
Well in Koua Fong Lee's '96 Camry (and some other '96 Camrys) those two pulleys ... Since the accident in June, 2006, Toyota and other experts have claimed that Koua's ... This explains why Koua had lost his brakes after stepping on them twice when heswerved ... American Family Insurance is one of the parties suing.Lee, wife hanging on to hope, wearily | Star Tribune
www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/98571759.html
Jul 15, 2010 - Koua Fong Lee and his wife struggle, he in prison and she raising their 4 ... her four children into the car to visit their father, Koua Fong Lee, she ... Camry while going home with his family from church in June 2006, ... I tried to brake my car, trying to stop, but I was not able to, so I swerve my car to the middle ...Star Tribune
Toyota Driver Koua Fong Lee Released from Prison; No ...
www.cbsnews.com/.../toyota-driver-koua-fong-lee-released-fr...
Aug 6, 2010 - 2006 Crash Left Three Dead. ... (CBS/WCCO/AP) Koua Fong Lee, the Minnesota man convicted in a 2006 Toyota crash that left three dead is now a free man. Shortly ... She finished by saying, "I wish Mr. Lee and his family the very best." ... After being released, Lee said he wants to get to know his children.CBS News
Koua Fong Lee, convicted in Toyota crash, free after judge ...
www.mprnews.org/story/2010/08/05/koua-fong-lee-ruling
Aug 5, 2010 - A judge granted a new trial on today to Koua Fong Lee, the St. Paul man ... "I'm very happy to see my wife, my children, very happy about that. ... his familyhome from church on June 10, 2006, when their Camry exited the ...Senate Jobs Bill; White House Proposal; Toyota ... - CNN.com
transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1002/22/sitroom.03.html
Feb 22, 2010 - When ground troops arrived, they found women and children in those cars. ... You can see the car there swerve, then it crashes into a barricade. ... TODD (CNN
Sure glad I don't have a Toyota! Free Dating, Singles and ...
forums.plentyoffish.com/13723176datingPostpage7.aspx
Feb 18, 2010 - 25 posts
Koua Fong Lee, the St. Paul man convicted in a fatal crash involving his ... brake that day in June 2006, as both his trial attorney and prosecutors contended. ... He yelled to his family that the brakes weren't working, swerved from the ... When his children visit him, he said, "I tell them that they should try really ...F&I Forum - Conspiracy Theory
www.fi-magazine.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4622...5
Feb 17, 2010 - 10 posts - 5 authors
But now, new revelations of safety problems with Toyotas have Lee pressing to ... well as the victims' families say they're encouraged by the evidence that the ... father and brother home from church the afternoon of June 10, 2006, when ... on his wife and fourchildren, ages 8, 5, 3 and 2, who are on welfare.Gov. tells toyota to stop producing/selling cars - PurseForum
forum.purseblog.com › ... › The Playground › Up to the Minute
Feb 11, 2010 - 15 posts - 7 authors
Lee testified he shouted to his family, "Brakes, brakes not working," ... "I can't believe that a guy with his pregnant wife, a kid in a car seat, his .... Devyn Bolton, 7, died Saturday after a June 2006 accident that left her paralyzed. ... waiting to turn onto Snelling when Koua Fong Lee rear-ended the family's car.Toyota trial: Attorneys for automaker try to punch holes in case
www.startribune.com/local/288055881.htmlJan 10, 2015 - Toyota claims Lee mistakenly put his foot on the accelerator, rather than the ... Lee, who lives in St. Paul, testified Friday that he knew the difference between the accelerator and the brake pedals on the 1996 Toyota Camry that ...
Star TribuneAs feds slam Toyota over hiding sticky pedal, let's remember ...
blogs.mprnews.org/.../as-feds-slam-toyota-over-hiding-sticky-pedal-lets-...Mar 19, 2014 - That might bring some comfort to Koua Fong Lee, the St. Paul man ...recognized problems with sticky gas pedals and problem floor mats. ..... so I'd like to know what foot is on the accelerator when both feet are on the brakes?
2009–11 Toyota vehicle recalls - Wikipedia, the free ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009–11_Toyota_vehicle_recallsFollowing the floor mat and accelerator pedal recalls, Toyota also issued a separate recall ..... For example, if the driver's foot is slightly jostled by a bump in road, theaccelerator pedal would ...... "Victim sues over 2006 Toyota crash in St. Paul".
WikipediaMinnesota judge frees man convicted in acceleration crash ...
www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/06/toyota.recall.appeal/Aug 6, 2010 - He told investigators that he pumped the brakes as he exited Interstate 94 in St. Paul, Minnesota, ... Toyota recalled more than 8 million vehicles, prompting Schafer to ... that Lee must have had his foot on the accelerator, even though Lee ...acceleration" were caused by drivers pushing the wrong pedal.
CNNToyota denies fault for fatal St. Paul crash - TwinCities.com
www.twincities.com/.../toyota-driver-debate-fatal-st...Jan 8, 2015 - Toyota denies fault for fatal St. Paul crash ... "The evidence will show he was pushing the brake pedal." ... "He wasn't looking at his feet.".
St. Paul Pioneer PressAttorney petitions for Toyota driver's release in deadly St ...
www.twincities.com/ci_14751888Mar 25, 2010 - The St. Paul man imprisoned for a deadly 2006 accident involving his ...his foot off the Camry's gas pedal and pressed the brake, Lee said.
St. Paul Pioneer Press
8 years after fatal St. Paul crash, Toyota lawsuit heads to trial
www.twincities.com/.../8-years-after-fatal-crash-toy...
9 hours ago - A St. Paul driver who went to prison for a crash that killed three people ...in 2009 of sudden unintended acceleration in some Toyota vehicles.St. Paul Pioneer Press
Minnesota judge frees man convicted in acceleration crash ...
www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/08/06/toyota.recall.appeal/
Aug 6, 2010 - ... sent to prison after the deadly sudden-acceleration crash of hisToyota ... pumped the brakes as he exited Interstate 94 in St. Paul, Minnesota, ...CNN
8 years after fatal crash, Toyota lawsuit heads to trial - US ...
www.usnews.com/.../8-years-after-fatal-crash...
14 hours ago - MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota driver who went to prison for a crash that killed three ... (AP Photo/St. Paul Pioneer Press, Thomas Whisenand, File)... in 2009 of sudden unintended acceleration in some Toyota vehicles.U.S. News & World Report
Toyota Sudden Acceleration Incidents - Antony Anderson
www.antony-anderson.com/cruise/9.5%20SA%20Links/Toyota.html
Toyota Sudden Acceleration Incidents and Litigation: includes vehicles fitted with ...Aug 6th 2010 Koua Fong Lee: A free man after 2.5 years in prison for fatal Toyotacrash (w/ ... Feb 11 2010 : In deadly St. Paul crash, was the Toyota to blame?Koua Fong Lee Toyota Camry Case - Defective Brakes ...
www.schaferlawfirm.com/noteworthy-cases/koua-fong-lee-toyota-case/
ABC NEWS: Toyota Driver Koua Fong Lee Released from Prison; No New Trial for Deadly ... He was traveling from Minneapolis to his home in St. Paul. ... the Lee case after numerous Toyota recalls for sudden unintended acceleration (Minnesota man reclaims his life after Toyota acceleration ...
www.rightinginjustice.com/.../minnesota-man-reclaims-his-life-after-toyo...
ST. PAUL, MINN – Koua Fong Lee, who was imprisoned in 2007 after his ToyotaCamry suddenly accelerated and crashed into traffic, killing three, gave an int. ... his life after Toyota acceleration crash, prison. Kurt Niland August 12, 2011. ST.2009–11 Toyota vehicle recalls - Wikipedia, the free ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009–11_Toyota_vehicle_recalls
Following the floor mat and accelerator pedal recalls, Toyota also issued a ... 7.3 Competitor reactions; 7.4 Release of Toyota driver jailed for fatal crash; 7.5 Media coverage and criticism ...... "Victim sues over 2006 Toyota crash in St. PaulWikipedia
Toyota Driver Koua Fong Lee Released from Prison; No ...
www.cbsnews.com/.../toyota-driver-koua-fong-lee-released-fr...
Aug 6, 2010 - ST. PAUL, Minn. (CBS/WCCO/AP) Koua Fong Lee, the Minnesota ... of vehicles because of problems with sudden unintended acceleration.CBS News
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