COLLEYVILLE — A Colleyville couple is blaming accelerator problems in their Toyota for a nasty accident that damaged a local restaurant.
Don Campbell's 2005 Toyota Avalon crashed through the front windows of McAlister's Deli on Colleyville Boulevard back in December. His wife was parking the car when, Campbell said, the vehicle just took off.
"The motor was running at full blast," Campbell said. "She had pressed the brake so hard, that the brake — it was smoking."
The car jumped the curb and crushed some patio tables and chairs before crashing through the window of the business.
"If anyone was standing there, it would have killed them," he said.
Deli workers said they heard the engine revving even after the crash until the car stalled out.
A Toyota representative inspected the Avalon, and — in a letter to the family — said there was no evidence of a design defect.
The Campbells are disputing that analysis, and are working with their insurance company to get answers.
The couple's 2005 Avalon is part of the nationwide recall that went into effect last week, but the Colleyville family is not getting their car fixed. They already returned the leased car to the dealer.
"[My wife] was so shaken up, she refused to get back in the car again," Campbell said.
Colleyville police said because the accident happened on private property, and there were no injuries, they did not conduct their own investigation.
If you have a Toyota that is part of the recall, you will get a notice in the mail this week. A steel reinforcement bar will be added to the gas pedal.
Right now, Toyota is training its dealers how to fix the problem and shipping the parts to them.
Nationwide, some dealers plan to stay open late to get the job done. The repairs are free of charge.
E-mail ccivale@wfaa.com
