Ok, I had to go and get more information on this as the OP's article is lacking in details.
More Detailed Article
So a highly trained CHP officer was behind the wheel of this car when this happened. I fail to see how all the blame can be assigned to him for this accident.
I guess there was some type of Hollywood style explosion.
It looks like Toyota has had problems with floor mats in the past. So, maybe it isn't only the driver's fault.
It looks like the Highway Patrolmen was trying to stop the car the best he could.
Hill thinks Saylor had trouble with the car's accelerator about five miles before reaching Mission Gorge Road. Several people called 911 to report the car was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic with its emergency flashers on.
Hill told the Union-Tribune there was prolonged “heavy, heavy, hard braking.”
“He did everything he could to stop that car,” he said.
Saylor, a 19-year CHP veteran, must have worked extremely hard to maneuver the Lexus to avoid other cars on the heavily traveled roadway, only hitting the one vehicle, Hill told the paper.
“We were very lucky that there were not more deaths,” Hill said.
Would of helped if the 19 year CHP vet was more familiar with the car. But, even still, people who owned the cars couldn't get them to turn off either.
Makes me wonder if there was some sort of neutral lock on the car to keep people from putting the car into neutral to prevent it from blowing up the engine on accident.