Porsche sued over Walker/Rodas crash
The suit filed against Porsche Cars North America says Rodas was driving at 55 mph, not in excess of 90 mph as the official crash investigators determined. It also says the vehicle lacked a proper crash cage and safety features in the gas tank that could have saved the men. Finally, the suit claims a failure in the Porsche’s suspension forced it to careen out of control in Santa Clarita, Calif., striking a lamppost and several trees before it came to rest and burst into flames. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from Porsche Cars North America.
“The Carrera GT was unsafe for its intended use by reason of defects in its manufacture, design, testing, component and constituents, so that it would not safely serve its purpose," according to the suit.
The post-crash investigation conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol concluded that Rodas was driving the car too fast, and did not identify any mechanical problems with the Carrera GT. The difference of opinion between the official crash investigators and those hired by Kristine Rodas’s attorney will be a big part of the case.
“We are very sorry for the Rodas and Walker families’ loss," Porsche said Tuesday in a prepared statement. “The crash was the subject of a detailed investigation by the proper authorities [L.A. County Sheriff and California Highway Patrol], and their investigation disproves the allegations in the lawsuit. The investigation found that driving at a high speed in a negligent manner caused the crash and concluded that there was no mechanical defect." AutoWeek