Recall is too late for crash victims SAFETY: Yorba Linda and Fullerton residents hope congressional hearings into the Firestone case make headway.
September 7, 2000
By JOSÉ ALFREDO FLORES
The Orange County Register
Christine Hills watched television, plugged into the Internet and even listened to her car radio to make sure she wouldn't miss a minute of Wednesday's congressional hearings on the Firestone tire recall.
She had a good reason.
Her 1996 Ford Explorer was wearing those tires when it rolled over this summer.
"I never thought I'd be so involved in politics, but when it's something as personal as this, I have to," said Hills of Yorba Linda, one of the more than 250 people allegedly injured because of the defective tires.
"I'm the eternal optimist, but from what I saw (in the hearings) today it seemed like no one wanted to take the blame," she said. "It's just politics as usual."
Hills did everything she was supposed to do before taking her family on a weekend vacation to Lake Havasu. She checked her tires' pressure, had her tires inspected and made sure her SUV could handle high speeds in the June heat.
She had no idea that her Firestone Wilderness AT tires were an accident waiting to happen.
On June 16, as she was driving home on the Ontario (I-15) Freeway, the tread came off a rear tire. Her Explorer rolled over twice. She suffered a broken collar bone and a concussion. Her husband's right knee and elbow were injured. They are still recovering.
"At the time of the accident, I kept telling my husband it had to be a defective tire," she said. "I was going to make sure that people knew about this. But I could not believe how enormous this story would become."
The accident was nearly two months old before Firestone issued its voluntary recall.
"Congress needs to tell Firestone that they need to be accountable for the delay in helping consumers," said Hills, 40, a homemaker. "There is a catastrophic failure of these tires, and they should be responsible for the effects of the tires."
More recently, a Fullerton woman who was on a waiting list to replace her Firestone ATX tires had her Explorer overturn after a tire shredded. Five people were sent to the hospital in the accident, which occurred Saturday. Guadalupe Avila, the driver, needed a skin graft on her left elbow.
"I'm very disappointed it took so long (to replace the defective tires)," said Avila, 29.
Gary Hills said he takes pride in having proof that his tires were faulty.
"I feel vindicated that in the police report (it says) that our accident was caused by defective tires," said Hills, 40, a branch manager for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. "Before all the news on Firestone occurred we thought this was just a fluke.
"It's definitely not a bizarre situation anymore."
Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, believes the Hillses may have a case against Firestone.
"We are going to move forward to bring to light all the information that Firestone had at its disposal and when," he said.
"I hope our congressmen know it's not an anonymous thing, that this is happening to the people they represent," Christine Hills said. "They are the only voice I have at these hearings."
