Police Investigate Jeep Accelerator in Carwash Fatality

Police in Albuquerque, N.M., are investigating a fatal accident at an Octopus Car Wash to determine if a faulty accelerator is to blame. A 30-year-old worker was killed Jan. 30 when she was struck by a Jeep Grand Cherokee and pinned against a pole. A co-worker was driving the vehicle and reportedly lost control as the Jeep exited the carwash tunnel, according to a report by KOAT television.

Octopus Owner Charlie Gates told the station that the car “redlined” when it was put into gear. Police said the driver swerved to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of him but struck Floridalia Astorga who later died at a local hospital.

The accident is the latest in a string of incidents involving Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models dating back to the 1990s. Vehicle owners and carwash operators have reported numerous incidents of sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) involving Jeeps. Chrysler officials have repeatedly attributed such incidents to driver error, while Jeep owners and carwash operators insist the issue is mechanical.

The Octopus Car Wash incident comes on the heels of a massive recall by Toyota for accelerator pedal defects affecting eight of its models and millions of vehicles worldwide. Sudden unintended acceleration issues related to some Toyota models also date back to the late 1990s, with 19 deaths attributed to SUA incidents since 2002, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times.

SUA has been such a source of concern for some carwash operators that carwash owner Doug Newman dedicated an entire Web site to the subject.

Many carwashes take extra precautions when some Toyotas and Jeeps are on the premises. The latest accelerator incidents prompted the International Carwash Association this week to reissue a best practices bulletin outlining recommended safety procedures to avoid SUA incidents when handling vehicles.