Man killed by Lexus car being remotely started (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

A New York man has died after being crushed by an empty car accidentally started by remote control.

Michael Kosanovich, 21, had been standing between two parked 2002 Lexus IS300s, on 6 December, when one of them had been started remotely by its owner, police said.

The car rolled forward and he was pinned between the two vehicles.

Bystanders tried to push them apart but as they did so, the car rolled forward and crushed him again.

Mr Kosanovich was taken to hospital with severe trauma to his torso and legs, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD). He died of his injuries on 7 December.
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more: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50756243



And we need the ability to remotely start our cars because .... ??

[NightWatcher]

1. So that they can warm up before we get in on cold days?

Why was this dude standing between cars?

[hlthe2b]

6. A man tragically died and you find it funny? What are we becoming?

[Lochloosa]

15. Sorry. That was an inside joke to NW.

[Fla Dem]

9. Seriously dude. Hope nothing tragic ever happens to you.

[Lochloosa]

16. Sorry. That was an inside joke to NW.

[harumph]

3. you shouldn't have to worry that a parked car will just roll forward,

so, it's immaterial why he was standing between the cars.

[Hangingon]

14. I agree.

Our cars have remote start. It requires that the car be in Park. Good practice is that the parking brake be engaged when car is parked. The article says the remote start was a retrofit.

[napi21]

27. AFAIK, no car will start without it being in park or neutral. Something is very wrong with that

Lexus!

[hlthe2b]

4. Really? Damn..

Blame the victim who has every right to walk between two parked cars. I'd expect this from our self-entitled opponents, but you, NightWatcher? Really?

[Merlot]

7. So now it's his fault?

[Fla Dem]

8. Beause he was at a car lot looking to buy a car. Read the article.

[Codeine]

25. What the actual fuck?

What a massively stupid thing to say.

[NightWatcher]

31. Thanks for piling on. I was just wondering what the deal was, but thanks for that.

The first five to call me a victim blamer weren't enough.

[Codeine]

34. Here to help. nt

[cwydro]

29. I don't see what difference it makes.

Crossing through a parking lot? Who knows?

[NightWatcher]

32. Was just curious if it were done in malice, by accident or what the situation was.

[redqueen]

5. I guess not everyone uses their parking brake.

Cars with remote start capabilities should have a failsafe requiring the parking brake be engaged before the engine can be shut off.

[Kaleva]

28. Factory installed remote starts do have fail safes. This was an after market installation apparently

[DFW]

10. Goethe already predicted this in 1797

"Die ich rief, die Geister
Werde ich nun nicht los."

From "Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer's Apprentice)"

"The spirits I have summoned, I now cannot be rid of them"

i.e. don't summon them before you are certain you know how to banish them.
Or, maybe, don't park them in a garage unless there is absolutely no way they can kill somebody.

[cwydro]

30. i think this is the first time I've seen Goethe quoted on DU lol.

One of my father’s favorite writers.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. Remote start lets you warm up your car without having to go outside. It's fantastic.

[LisaL]

21. Not for the guy who got killed by a remotely started car.

[Kilgore]

33. What happened to the guy has no connection to my happiness

Why should it?

[Demovictory9]

12. horrible

[MineralMan]

13. According to the article, it was an aftermarket remote starter.

Apparently, it bypassed the safety lockout switch that requires the car to be in park for the starter to operate. That is an installation error that should never have been made, so the installer is liable for this accident.

[Takket]

18. Thanks for this

Remote starters don’t allow cars to move so knew there had to be more to the story. The installer is liable for the death.

[MineralMan]

19. Yes. OEM remote starters won't work if the car might move if started.

That's just a basic safety measure everyone understands. Add-on installers, though, sometimes take shortcuts during the installation, assuming that the owner would make sure the car was in Park, or they disable the interlock switch to bypass the built-in safety feature.

Same folks who install car stereos, in most places.

[treestar]

20. thanks, I was wondering because

when I had it on the car, it did not move the car forward - it's meant to start the engine, not move the car in any way, so something else had to be wrong.

[demtenjeep]

22. My car remotely starts and no way does it roll. I have to actually put foot on break and restart to

go anywhere. Auto start only just starts the warm up process

and that is my 19 Jeep

[MrsCoffee]

23. Yeah, my jeep is the same.

In fact I often forget and try to put it in gear and it won't until I brake and push the start button.

[demtenjeep]

24. yes I have done that too

then I feel stupid that I forgot

[JDC]

26. Same with Volvo