Report: Probe Questions Account of Runaway Prius

Federal and company investigators probing a dramatic high-speed incident on a California freeway involving a Toyota Prius didn't find as much wear as they expected on its brakes, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

James Sikes, 61, said afterward that he hit the brakes hard and kept the pedal down. His car reached 94 mph before a Highway Patrol officer helped him bring it to a stop on Interstate 8 near San Diego Monday.

The Journal said three people familiar with the probe, whom it did not name, said Sikes' brakes didn't show wear consistent with having been applied at full force at high speeds for a long period. Instead, they may have been applied intermittently, the newspaper said.

Toyota Corp. spokesman Mike Michels declined to confirm the report. He said the investigation was continuing and the company planned to release technical findings soon.

Michels said the hybrid braking system in the Prius would make the engine lose power if the brakes and accelerator were pressed at the same time.

Toyota has had to fend off intense public backlash over safety after recalls of some 8.5 million vehicles worldwide — more than 6 million in the United States — because of acceleration and floor mat problems in multiple models and braking issues in the Prius.

Regulators have linked 52 deaths to crashes allegedly caused by accelerator problems.

Transportation Department spokeswoman Jill Zuckman declined to comment on Saturday's report, saying investigators were still examining the data. The department oversees the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is investigating the incident with Toyota.

Sikes called 911 from the freeway and reported that his gas pedal was stuck and he could not slow down. In two calls that spanned 23 minutes, a dispatcher repeatedly told him to throw the car into neutral and turn it off.

Sikes later said he had put down the phone to keep both hands on the wheel and was afraid the car would flip if he put it in neutral at such high speed.