I thought people would like to see this update on this topic that was
furiously duiscussed in March on this newsgroup.

Vijay Kumar

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/06/20/nspeed20.xml&sSh
eet=/news/2006/06/20/ixuknews.html

130mph driver who claimed car's throttle was jammed is arrested
By Nick Britten
(Filed: 20/06/2006)

A motorist who claimed he was trapped in his car driving at 130mph for
60 miles after the accelerator jammed has been arrested after
investigators could find no fault with his vehicle.

Kevin Nicolle, 26, of Southsea, Hants, was arrested on suspicion of
dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice following the
high speed dash, which ended with his BMW 318 crashing into a
roundabout. Yesterday he said the arrest was "ridiculous".

"The police seem to think I was joyriding. I was not. They claim there
was nothing wrong with the car - then why did the engine blow up and
why didn't the air bags come out? If the car was fine, the engine
management should have cut off the fuel to the engine. There is no way
I would have gone through that by choice. It was a nightmare and I
feared for my life.

"I still can't believe they arrested me but I guess they had a job to
do and had to investigate it. But for it to go this far is madness.
They have destroyed the car so we can't get any more evidence. It's
their word against mine."

Nicolle, a former lorry driver, was driving on the A1 near Catterick,
North Yorks, in March when he said his accelerator got jammed to the
floor, forcing the automatic car to go faster and faster.

He immediately telephoned the emergency services and his terrifying
journey was followed by four police cars and a helicopter as he was
forced to weave around vehicles.

At the time, he said that to begin with he was able to keep the R-reg
car's speed down by pressing the brake, but when the brakes wore out he
could do nothing. He said he was unable to put the car into neutral and
did not want to turn the engine off in case the steering locked. He
said: "I was terrified, hysterical and crying. It's a miracle I didn't
collide with another vehicle or cause a pile-up because I had lots of
close shaves with lorries and cars."

He travelled 60 miles in 26 minutes, before crashing near Worksop,
Notts, escaping unhurt. However, two independent examinations on
Nicolle's car, one for Nottinghamshire Police and one for BMW, found no
mechanical defects.

Last night a spokesman for Nottinghamshire police said a man was
arrested on May 24 in connection with a collision on Sunday March 5.
"He has been released on police bail pending further inquiries."