Mother Sues Toyota After Pitt Grad Student Dies In Crash

A Long Island woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Toyota for the 2007 death of her 21-year-old daughter in East Pittsburgh.

VIDEO: Mother Sues Toyota After Pitt Grad Student Dies In Crash

Lawyers for Sandra Livingston of Roosevelt said they filed the lawsuit Monday in Los Angeles. The lawsuit claims Tyrene Livingston brought her new Toyota Yaris into a dealership complaining of what she thought were braking problems and was told nothing was wrong.

The court papers said that four days later the car accelerated out of control and crashed in East Pittsburgh.

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Livingston was a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh working on a masters degree in education and was on her way to her teaching internship at a local high school when the crash happened.

When Livingston's car lost control, she crossed the center line and plunged down an embankment along Route 30 in North Versailles, the suit says.

Livingston’s family contends that a problem with the electronic throttle control system led to the acceleration and they claim Toyota didn't include a fail safe measure used by other companies that automatically reduces the engine to idle when the brakes are applied.

Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Toyota Motor Corp.'s safety problems. The company has said its "first priority is the safety of" its customers and promised changes.

The Yaris is not, however, included in pedal or floor mat recalls and when Channel 11 called Toyota Tuesday afternoon for a response the company said, "We have no comment on pending litigation."

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