Toyota accelerator goes wild, kills 4 JW's in field service

by Brocephus 44 Replies latest jw friends

  • Brocephus
    Brocephus

    I don't know if any one posted this. But the four killed were in field service on a Sat morning. There was no way they were driving this fast on a dead end road in a residential neighbrohood. Toyota sucks.

    http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/02/family-of-woman-killed-in-sout.html

  • SirNose586
  • Brocephus
    Brocephus

    Ya I remember hearing about it when it happened. The family is suing now, couldn't the WTS be liable sense they were selling their products? Isn't that like if I am at work and get hurt?

  • awildflower
    awildflower

    I didn't see that the articles said they were jw's? Did I miss it?

  • keyser soze
    keyser soze
    I didn't see that the articles said they were jw's? Did I miss it?

    I didn't see it, either. Where does it say they were JWs in field service?

  • Elsewhere
    Elsewhere

    > couldn't the WTS be liable sense they were selling their products?

    No.

    When in the field ministry, JWs are acting on their own and do not represent the WTS (they just happen to be using materials produced by the WTS). Also, JWs are NOT required to engage in the field ministry.

    http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au

    Ram butts Bible man

    By CHRISTOPHER SALTER
    23-Jan-03

    AFTER a day of doorknocking the last thing Jehovah's Witness Kenneth Hawthorn expected was to be attacked by one of God's creatures.

    But that is exactly what happened.
    Despite a gate marked 'private - keep out', Mr Hawthorn entered a farm only to be confronted by a four-year-old ram.

    He attempted to shoo it away with a briefcase containing Bibles but was knocked to the ground and suffered a broken shin.

    In the South Australian District Court, Mr Hawthorn and his wife Pamela, of Tea Tree Gully, reached a confidential settlement with the ram's owners for loss of earnings after the incident in July 2001.

    The Hawthorns sued Ronald and Julie Goldfinch, of Paracombe, in the Adelaide hills. They claimed they were forced to sell their hose-fitting business as a result of the injuries Mr Hawthorn suffered.

    They alleged the ram was a "dangerous and ferocious animal" and the Goldfinches were negligent for not keeping it confined and failing to warn visitors.

    The Hawthorns also sued the Adelaide Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses for failing to provide proper instructions about doorknocking in rural areas.

    In the Hawthorns' statement of claim, Mr Hawthorn, who was doorknocking with his daughter, said they opened a gate on the Goldfinch property and walked towards their house to "engage in biblical discussion".

    "As they did so a ram appeared and charged (Mr Hawthorn) to the ground and the ram continued the attack pushing him towards the fence," the court documents said.

    "At this time the defendants appeared and assisted (Mr Hawthorn) back into his car.

    Mr Hawthorn claims he now is able to walk only small distances and "his capacity to enjoy life has permanently diminished".

    In their defence, the Goldfinches said the Hawthorns entered their property "uninvited, unwanted and without notice".

    They said their hand-reared pet ram had never attacked anyone before nor had it shown a "violent disposition".

    In its own defence, The Adelaide congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses said doorknocking was voluntary and followers were not obliged to do it.
    Mr Goldfinch said yesterday he was glad the case was over but disappointed with the result.

    "We're just totally disappointed that they should have got anything," he said. "He walked into an area where he knew animals would have been, why should we pay."

    The ram, which was affectionately known as "Shit for brains", has since died.

    The Hawthorns declined to comment.

    http://www.austlii.edu.au/

    This is the Australasian Legal Information Institute. They have case records. Type in Jehovahs, not witnesses, or you get a million records!

  • undercover
    undercover

    It's a terrible tragedy and Toyota has a nightmare on their hands. They need to get this fixed.

    However...looking at that pic and assuming they were alone on the road, I don't understand why the driver didn't just knock it in neutral, hit the brakes and kill the engine.

    If you're in heavy traffic and the throttle sticks, yea, you're probably gonna hit something, but alone on a straight stretch of road, I don't get it.

    Toyata should be held liable if it's found to be mechanical failure, but it doesn't bring the people back. Each and every Toyota owner...scratch that...every car owner, should know the possiblity always exists of the throttle sticking and should know what to do when it happens.

  • SirNose586
    SirNose586
    I didn't see that the articles said they were jw's? Did I miss it?
    I didn't see it, either. Where does it say they were JWs in field service?

    That's why I posted my link, because the story I linked to has a comment from Tisha77 who said the following:

    "It is sad to hear about this about my brothers and sisters, but as John 5:28,29 says we will see them again."

    Otherwise the story makes no reference to the beliefs of the deceased.

  • awildflower
    awildflower

    Mr Hawthorn claims he now is able to walk only small distances and "his capacity to enjoy life has permanently diminished".

    Sorry but that happened when he became a jw.

  • Think About It
    Think About It

    Being a JW should have no bearing on this case. Disclosure and testimony will conclude if Toyota had a faulty product. It's easy to second guess why someone didn't react a different way, but sometimes people freeze in an emergency situation.

    Think About It

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