IT WAS SEPTEMBER 23RD AROUND 11PM, I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, UPON TURNING INTO THE EXIT LANE MY CAR HIT SOME FORM OF POTHOLE WHICH MADE MY TOUCH SCREEN AND DASHBOARD TURN OFF AND BACK ON. I'VE HAD ISSUES WITH MY TOUCH SCREEN SHUTTING OFF AND BACK ON IN THE PAST, ONCE I'VE REPLACED THE BATTERY IT WORKED FINE UNTIL THAT DAY, THEN IT STARTED ACTING UP AGAIN SO BEFORE ALL OF THIS I DID SET UP A CAR APPOINTMENT FOR IT TO GET CHECKED OUT 2 DAYS EARLIER. SO ANYWAY, AS I'M DRIVING, I ARRIVE TO MY DESTINATION. I SAT IN THE CAR FOR A WHILE ON MY PHONE AND DECIDED TO TURN ON MY AIR. WHEN THE AIR CAME OUT IT SMELLED VERY SMOKEY. SO I TURNED IT OFF AND ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER, A VERY LIGHT MIST BEGAN TO COME OUT OF THE DRIVERS SIDE HOOD. SO I DECIDED TO JUST HEAD HOME INSTEAD BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO BE STUCK SOMEWHERE AND I NOT HAVE A RIDE HOME, MY HOUSE WASN'T THAT FAR FROM MY LOCATION. SO THE FURTHER I'M DRIVING I NOTICED THE SMOKE BEGAN TO PICK UP A BIT SO I CUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON. I'M ABOUT 5 MINUTES AWAY FROM MY HOUSE AT THE POINT. SO I'M DRIVING DOWN THE RAMP TO MERGE INTO THE HIGHWAY AND THE SMOKE GOT SO THICK TO WHERE I COULD NO LONGER SEE SO I'M PUSHING DOWN THE BREAKS TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND FIND MY WAY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT THEN MY CAR LOCKS UP AND SHUTS DOWN. I COULDN'T TURN THE WHEEL, GAS OR BREAK OR ANYTHING. WHEN I COULD GLIMPSE THROUGH THE SMOKE I NOTICED A FIRE WAS COMING FROM MY HOOD, SO INTO MOVING TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR I HOPPED OUT OF MY CAR AND IT ROLLED A LITTLE OVER 100 FEET TO ALMOST THE YELLOW LINE (IT WAS STILL BLOCKING ONE LANE). WITNESSES CALLED THE COPS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUT THE FLAMES OUT.I REACHED OUT TO MY CAR COMPANY AND THEY SAID SINCE MY CAR WASN'T INSURED, THAT BASICALLY I'M OUT OF LUCK. I HAVE SCRATCHES AND SCARS STILL FROM THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE TO DO ## VIN PASSED ## DODGE DART 2013 ##
NHTSA ODI 11031795