A 911 recording has been released of a California woman who lost control of her car and went into the Sacramento River.
The driver, 57-year-old Mussarat Chaudhary, told dispatchers that she couldn’t get out of the car. Authorities said a language barrier slowed down response efforts. When crews pulled the car out of the water, the mother of seven was found dead inside.
Chaudhary’s relatives later retained a lawyer. The family’s attorney, Christopher Wood, said they hold no ill-will toward the dispatcher and know emergency crews did all they could.
Chaundhray bought her used 2009 Toyota Camry about three months ago. Prior to owning the vehicle, Toyota recalled some 2009 models to fix two issues with the accelerator: one that caused it to get stuck under the floor mat and another where excessive wear could cause it to malfunction.
But even if a gas pedal were stuck open, the power of the brake system will always override the engine, Toyota has confirmed.
“We sympathize with anyone in an accident involving one of our vehicles,” Toyota said in a statement. “We can’t comment further at this stage except to say that we are committed to working in close partnership with law enforcement agencies and federal regulators with jurisdiction over accident scenes whenever requested.”
Wood said he has not confirmed with the manufacturer whether the vehicle had been recalled or fixed under a previous recall.
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