It was a weekly shopping trip that turned into a terrifying high-speed journey in a runaway car, worthy of a Hollywood action film.
The speed limiter on Franck Lecerf’s Renault Laguna jammed at 125 mph and the brakes failed.
He had intended to go no further than a local supermarket, but was forced to drive more than 70 miles from his home near Amiens in northern France across the border into Belgium, ending up in a ditch surrounded by a fleet of police cars when his petrol finally ran out.
“I saw my whole life flash before my eyes,” said 36-year-old Mr Lecerf, who was shocked but unhurt, although he did suffer two epileptic seizures brought on by the ordeal, which lasted nearly an hour. “I just wanted it to stop,” he said
His car, specially adapted for disabled drivers, first jammed when he set the speed regulator at 60 mph. But whenever he tried to brake, the car kept accelerating until it hit 125 mph, failing to respond to any of his efforts to slow down.
“It was impossible to control,” Mr Lecerf said. “It just continued increasing speed.
Other cars swerved out of his way as he careened along in the fast lane of a motorway. Despite his panic, he managed to call the fire brigade, which set up a conference call with the police and a Renault technician.
While the technician got him to try various ways of unjamming the speed regulator, all of which proved unsuccessful, the emergency services dispatched a squadron of police cars.
They escorted him at breakneck speed past Calais and Dunkirk and across the border into Belgium.
Mororists gave way as the convoy hurtled past and three motorway toll stations were forced to raise their barriers to let the cars race through.
The cause of the problem is still unknown, but technicians said it could be the way the Laguna was adapted for disabled drivers. Everything is controlled by hand and it has no brake or accelerator pedals.
The car is being inspected by experts.
Mr Lecerf’s lawyer said he would file a legal complaint against Renault for “endangering a person’s life”.
Renault told France 2 TV that it would not comment until it receives the results of the inspection and an investigation into the incident.
From The Times.
There must be a moral here. Don't buy a Renault?
