My beautiful 32-yr. old daughter, a third grade school teacher, was killed on her way to work due to a tragic automobile accident on October 31, 2006. She was rear-ended on Interstate-10 by a man driving a Ford F-150 pick-up truck. The police report states that the driver of the pick-up was going approx. 60 mph.
My daughter's vehicle, a 2004 Jeep Liberty, burst into flames upon impact and my daughter was burned to death. Since my daughter's death, I have learned that the fuel tank and filler neck on the Jeep Liberty (and Jeep Grand Cherokee) was designed and installed in a location (behind the rear bumper) that is susceptible to rupture or puncture in a rear-end collision. When gasoline escapes from a ruptured or punctured fuel tank, a high risk of fire and explosion exists.
Chrysler knows full well about this problem, but apparently it is cheaper for them to settle out of court than to change the design of the vehicle. Because of this terrible tragedy and tremendous loss of such a beautiful life, I feel an obligation to warn everyone of the potential danger when driving these vehicles. The public has a right to know BEFORE they purchase these vehicles. I wish someone would have warned me. No vehicle should ever explode and burst into flames in a rear-end collision. Something should be done about this before others are killed needlessly.
The location of the fuel tank and filler neck on the Jeep Liberty is a fire hazard.
Anyone driving a Jeep Liberty runs the risk of being seriously burned or burned to death in a rear-end collision.
I am sorry for your tragic loss. What kind of vehicle ran into her and at what speed?
I don't buy it. If my child were burned to death in a car crash, you can bet that I would go into great detail about how it happened and how the negligent design of the car, as well as the part that the others involved; had stolen my precious loved one and how it made my loved one and myself suffer.
Who was driving the Liberty? What else happened?
I don't buy it. That's a serious assertion, yet nothing more is told about this. That is not even human nature, as we do tell our story.
I am not saying that this is not a valid problem on the car, as it might be.
How old was the daughter? There are many questions left unaswered.
Not everything posted is true... Just because someone puts statements into black and white does not make it real.
This story is extremely incomplete... That is not genuine.
I am sorry for your tragic loss. I hope Chrysler at least admits fault, and, that this doesn't turn into another Ford Pinto or Chevy C/K pickup scandal.
Why should Chrysler admit fault? You don't know what happened. Any car might explode if hit hard enough. Let's not try to invent a Liberty/Pinto connection.
Um, the Liberty had to be redesigned after the first year because it was so unstable it was killing and injuring people in the slightest maneuver.
No reason to suspect the gas tank was any better designed.
For the person who doubted, here is the story and the State Police news release.
My beautiful 32-yr. old daughter, and third grade teacher, was killed as a result of a tragic automobile accident on October 31, 2006. She was rear-ended on Interstate-10 by a man driving a Ford F-150 pick-up truck. The police report states that the Ford was traveling at about 60 mph.
The vehicle she was driving, a 2004 Jeep Liberty, burst into flames upon impact and my daughter was burned to death. Since my daughter's death, I have learned that the fuel tank and filler neck on the Jeep Liberty (and Jeep Grand Cherokee) was designed and installed in a location (behind the rear bumper) that is susceptible to rupture or puncture in a rear-end collision. When gasoline escapes from a ruptured or punctured fuel tank, a high risk of fire and explosion exists.
Chrysler knows full well about this problem, but apparently it is cheaper for them to settle out of court than to change the design of the vehicle. Because of this terrible tragedy and tremendous loss of such a beautiful life, I feel an obligation to warn everyone of the potential danger when driving these vehicles. I'm doing this for my daughter and because I think the public has a right to know. I wish someone would have warned me.
The autopsy report confirmed that my daughter was breathing after the impact. If not for the fire, she most likely would have survived. She had not yet celebrated her one-year wedding anniversay and she had just moved into her brand new home just 3 weeks before the accident. No one should die in a vehicle that explodes and bursts into flames in a rear-end collision. My only intent is to make people aware of this problem before others are killed needlessly.
The news release from the La State Police is pasted below:
Louisiana State Police News Release
Date Posted: 10/31/2006.
Troop B
Three Vehicle Fatal Crash on I-10 in St. John the Baptist Parish.
NEWS RELEASE.
Louisiana State Police
Troop –B
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
DATE: October 31st, 2006.
Three Vehicle Fatal Crash on I-10 in St. John the Baptist Parish.
On Tuesday, October 31st, 2006 at 6:30 am, Louisiana State Police, Troop B investigated a three vehicle fatal crash on I-10 eastbound at milepost 209 (at U.S. 51). The crash involved a white Ford F-150 driven by Kirk A, Thibodaux (W/M, 37 yrs), of Baton Rouge, LA, a silver Jeep Liberty driven Jaye M. Donahoe (W/F, 32 yrs), of Destrehan, LA and a gray Pontiac Solstice driven by Alan J. Drumm Jr. (W/M, 35 yrs), of Gonzales, LA. All the vehicles involved were traveling eastbound on I-10 in the left lane at which time the Pontiac and the Jeep came to a stop on the grade of the U.S. 51 overpass. The Ford pick-up failed to stop and struck the Jeep in the rear. Upon impact the Jeep and the Ford pick-up were engulfed in flames. While the Jeep was coming to rest it struck the Pontiac in the rear.
The driver of the Jeep, Jaye M. Donahoe suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of the Ford, Kirk A. Thibodaux was transported to River Parishes Hospital with moderate injuries. The driver of the Pontiac, Alan J. Drumm suffered no injuries during the crash.
Seatbelts were worn by all parties involved and alcohol does not appear to be a factor in this crash. Once released from the hospital, Mr. Thibodaux will be booked with Careless Operation and Negligent Homicide.
Trooper Larry Mayes is continuing his investigation.
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT TFC JOSEPH PIGLIA BY PAGER AT 504-437-6997 or at Joseph.Piglia@dps.la.gov.
Such a tragic loss and for such a needless reason. Daimler Chrysler has got to know (Mercedes is only legendary for safety) that there is a problem. Sorry for your loss.
This is an SUV we are talking about, and they are KNOWN to be the most unsafe cars on the road. They are NOT built to the same safety standards as cars and never have been.
I find it appalling and hard to believe that people out there where this information has been posted thinks this is a bogus posting. This is true information. Granted many vehicles may catch fire in an accident, but knowing this family and the facts of the accident, this vehicle is obviously more at a risk because of the location of the fuel tank and the materials from which it is made. This mother only posted this information as a precaution for those who drive these vehicles. I'm sure many out there do not even know where the fuel tank is located. Granted many of these vehicles will never be involved in an accident such as this, however should you be the unfortunate one who is rear-ended, the chance of a fire is much greater due to where this tank is located. Her intentions were only to inform the public, I doubt very seriously a dealer would point out the fact that the fuel tank is behind the rear bumper rather than forward of the rear axle which is where most are located. Chances are this girl would be alive today if she had been driving a different vehicle.
No, the chances are not good that she would have survived in a different car, in the same type of accident. She was rear ended, while at a dead stop, by an F-150 that was traveling at 60mph! An F-150 is a large, heavy truck. There is no way the Liberty could absorb all of that mass, at such a high rate of speed. Have you seen how small the wheel base is on a Liberty? This is a terrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to the family, but to assume she would have survived in a different car or suv is a gross speculation.