Criminal Law News

Another facet of the acceleration crisis at Toyota comprises a different set of victims – motorists involved in accidents involving sudden acceleration, who were found guilty and sentenced to prison. One such motorist who was found guilty on charges of vehicular manslaughter, is hoping for justice the second time round.

In 2006, Kuoa Fong Lee was driving with his wife, father, brother, niece and daughter in St. Paul, Minnesota, when his car crashed into two other vehicles. Two people, including a 10-year-old boy died in that accident. A six-year-old girl was left seriously injured, and died a few months later.

Lee insisted that he had slammed the brakes in an effort to control the car, and avoid crashing into the vehicles stopped at the intersection. Not surprisingly, no one bought it. A mechanical examination of the car found nothing wrong with the brakes or the accelerator. They however, found that the throttle was 15% open, which was strange, but was ultimately attributed to damage from the accident. Lee was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Now with the sudden acceleration problem in Toyota plain to see, Lee may have another shot at justice. He is hoping that he will now be exonerated. He has tremendous support from the family of the victims who died in the crash. They have stated that they believe in his innocence, and are planning to sue Toyota instead.

Of course, there will have to be further investigations before Lee can be exonerated. However, many California criminal defense lawyers, think there is a case here to reconsider Lee’s conviction and sentencing. The fatality count from accidents involving Toyota cars and related to sudden acceleration has touched 56. There is definitely a possibility that there are other motorists out there convicted in crashes in which a Toyota vehicle revved up to uncontrollable speeds. These persons will also now hope for justice.