Family of Cop Killed in Crash Sues Toyota

Relatives of the California Highway Patrol officer whose death sparked the first wave of Toyota recalls are taking the automaker to court. Mark Saylor was killed along with his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law when his Lexus ES350 was involved in a high-speed crash on a freeway last summer. The relatives blame Toyota for producing a fatally flawed vehicle and are suing for product liability and negligence, AP reports.

Investigators determined that the crash was caused by a wrong-sized floor mat that trapped the accelerator, causing Saylor—a veteran officer and highly experienced driver—to lose control of the vehicle. Millions of Toyota vehicles were recalled soon afterward. A lawyer for the relatives says they are seeking more than just damages from Toyota, including "responsibility and change,” he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “And that process has begun.” (More Mark Saylor stories.)