Toyota settles lawsuit over California crash

Associated Press

SANTA ANA, Calif.

Toyota Motor Corp. has settled a lawsuit brought by relatives of four family members killed in a high-speed crash near San Diego that galvanized attention around safety flaws of Toyotas and led to the recalls of millions of cars.

A Toyota spokesman confirmed the settlement Saturday in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press. It was first reported on the Los Angeles Times’ website Friday night. The company would not specify the settlement’s terms.

The Times said Toyota is expected to file motions with the judge disclosing the settlement today. Court filings indicate the two parties reached a settlement in June.

Tim Pestotnik, an attorney for the plaintiffs including the parents of the three adult victims, declined to comment when reached by the Times.

The settlement left out one co-defendant — Bob Baker Lexus, the dealer that lent the family the car.

California Highway Patrol officer Mark Saylor, 45, had borrowed the Toyota-made sedan from the dealer in August 2009.

He was killed along with his wife, Cleofe, 45, their daughter Mahala, 13, and Cleofe’s brother Chris Lastrella, 39, as they drove on a freeway in San Diego on Aug. 28. Their car reached speeds of more than 120 mph, hit a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames.

Investigators found that a wrong-sized floor mat that trapped the accelerator caused the crash.

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.