THIS IS A SUDDEN ACCELATION INCIDENT in reverse with a brake incident. On January 11, 2024 shortly after 12:00 p.m., I was leaving my home and reversing out of my garage. As the tail of the car went slightly beyond the garage door, it stopped abruptly as if detecting something in the path of the car behind it. As I was looking at the rear camera to see why it stopped and what was in the path and contemplating whether I should get out and go see in person (as I did not clearly see anything in the rear camera) the car started moving again at what felt like a high-speed, backwards as I was still in reverse. I tried to brake but the brakes did not work. So, I started turning so as not to go directly into the home of the neighbor across the street. I turned sharply enough that the car went diagonally into my next-door neighbor's yard to the left of our home. The car continued to move in reverse and I kept steering to avoid the car hitting my neighbor's home. The car hit and knocked over the neighbor's in-ground basketball on the opposite side of the driveway. I believe the car slowed a bit after that impact but kept going in reverse heading back into the street in front of my home. Still steering and hitting the brakes, I remember the car spinning in the street and then had somewhat of an elliptical pattern and was headed back across the yard to my same neighbors home but hit the parkway tree in front of my home and stopped with that impact. Believe electrical failure. Brakes didn't work. Airbag did not deploy. Many sudden acceleration cases end in injury and death. Thankful no children out since middle of day. MBUSA (only) is investigating. Attempted independent review but told that unable because of proprietary software. 5 weeks in and no response to investigation status.
NHTSA ODI 11572481