'Oh my God, I'm going to die'
The Age
Thursday December 17, 2009
CHASE Weir swears, then screams, as he jumps on the brakes of his runaway vehicle. He has used his mobile phone to call 000, after trying €” and failing €” to slow his 2002 Ford Explorer on the Eastern Freeway.The cruise control has jammed, and he can't get the car below 80km/h. Aided by police, he has avoided traffic during his terrifying half-hour journey. But the 22-year-old is approaching the end of the trip at Frankston."Oh my God, I'm going to die," he shouts, as the four-wheel-drive heads across a concrete median strip towards oncoming cars.At the other end of the phone, police sergeant Marnie Goldsmith speaks calmly, but with urgency. "Chase? Listen . . . OK listen, I need you with all your strength to go on the brake, as well as the handbrake, and try and knock it down at the same . . . everything as hard as you can," she says.Seconds later, she declares: "He's stopped."Police yesterday released part of the recorded conversation between Mr Weir and Sergeant Goldsmith. She said she initially thought the call might be a hoax, but other messages confirmed the emergency was real. She then concentrated on keeping Mr Weir calm."I told him that 'I understand that you might be panicking'. I said: 'I'll tell you when it's time to panic, and we're not there yet'."Privately, her thoughts were not as positive. "All of the police involved probably had the same feeling, that it probably wasn't going to end well, because we didn't know how to stop the vehicle," she said.Police and VicRoads combined to reorganise traffic light sequences to clear the road ahead of Mr Weir's vehicle. A patrol car moved 200 metres in front of his car and the officers waved to other motorists to move out of the way."I wasn't worried about our safety," said Senior Constable Steven Warr, who drove the patrol car. "We were worried about what was coming up at Frankston. We knew the traffic was going to bank up there."Police discussed numerous options to stop the vehicle, including moving a truck in front of it to allow contact, forcing it into a paddock, and edging it into guard rails by the side of the road.Ford Australia said the US-made Explorer was last sold here in 2002. The vehicle was one of a number named in Ford's largest-ever safety recall, relating to a faulty cruise control deactivation switch that was identified as a potential fire risk in more than 14 million vehicles.OUT OF CONTROL WEIR'S CALL TO 000Chase Weir: €śI can€™t stop my car.€ťSergeant Marnie Goldsmith: €śI know that. What speed are you doing?€ť Weir: €śI€™m 100. I can slow it down to about 80, but it just accelerates again.€ťGoldsmith: €śTry slowing down completely as much as you can down to 80.€ťWeir: €śYep€ť Goldsmith: €śOK. and then can you turn the [ignition] key off?€ť Weir: €śCant€™ brake ... no. The key won€™t actually move.€ťGoldsmith: €śThe key won€™t move?Can you put it into neutral?€ť Weir: €śNo, the button won€™t push in.€ťGoldsmith: €śListen, Chase. There€™s nothing to freak about. You€™re on the freeway. OK? So, it€™s a long freeway ...there€™s no need to panic, Chase.€ťWeir: €śI€™m doing my best.€ťGoldsmith: €ś... We€™re in the best place we can be ... just toot and flash your lights to the people in front. We€™re gonna have a police car with you there shortly, OK?Weir: €śOK€ť LATER Weir: €śOh my God, oh my God, I€™m going to die ... holy shit, oh f---.€ťGoldsmith: €śChase, listen.€ťWeir: €śI just went on to the wrong side of the road, into the f---ing traffic.€ťGoldsmith: €śOK listen, I need you with all your strength to go on the brake, as well as the handbrake, and try and knock it down at the same ... everything as hard as you can € yeah, he€™s stopped.€ť
© 2009 The Age
