IllustrationCLIMBING UP ALPOWA GRADE ON HIGHWAY 12 IN WASHINGTON STATE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" CAME ON IN THE ODOMETER WINDOW. APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES LATER, BEYOND DODGE JUNCTION AND BEFORE STARBUCK TURNOFF, THERE WAS ANOTHER MESSAGE FLASHED IN THE ODOMETER WINDOW, "IGNITION SWITCH DISABLED. SERVICE ENGI…
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CLIMBING UP ALPOWA GRADE ON HIGHWAY 12 IN WASHINGTON STATE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" CAME ON IN THE ODOMETER WINDOW. APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES LATER, BEYOND DODGE JUNCTION AND BEFORE STARBUCK TURNOFF, THERE WAS ANOTHER MESSAGE FLASHED IN THE ODOMETER WINDOW, "IGNITION SWITCH DISABLED. SERVICE ENGINE" THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, AND THE POWER STEERING BECAME SUPER SLUGGISH. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AT THIS POINT WHEN WE GOT THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK. WHEN WE REACHED WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON, WE STOPPED AT O'REILYS AUTO PARTS, HAD ONE OF THE PARTS SPECIALISTS COME OUT AND CHECK WHAT THE CODE WAS ON THE COMPUTER, AND FOUND OUT IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SENSOR THAT IS DEFECTIVE. THIS IS A PILOT CAR ESCORT VEHICLE, MAKING THE HAZARD EVEN MORE DANGEROUS, BECAUSE HAD I BEEN TRAVELING WITH AN OVERSIZED LOAD, I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY THE SEMI PULLING THE LOAD, OR I COULD HAVE IMPACTED THE REAR OF THE LOAD, DEPENDING IF I WERE FOLLOWING OR LEADING. ALSO, HAD THAT HAPPENED WHILE ON A JOB, THE LOAD WOULD HAVE HAD TO STOP UNTIL ANOTHER PILOT CAR ESCORT VEHICLE COULD ARRIVE TO CONTINUE WITH THE LOAD. THIS IS A DANGEROUS THING TO HAVE SHUT OFF WHEN DRIVING IN AREAS THAT ARE NOT STRAIGHT. UNABLE TO CONTROL STEERING, BRAKES LESS THAN RESPONSIVE, AND POSSIBLE HAZARDS OF VEHICLES ONCOMING OR FOLLOWING US COULD BECOME IMPACT HAZARDS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR