ON MAY 22, 2009, I BACKED MY 2000 TOYOTA AVALON INTO A PARKING AREA NEXT TO A SHORT PRIVATE ROAD LOCATED ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN A HIGH CLIFF ABOVE A BEACH. AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, I DECIDED TO MOVE IT ABOUT A FOOT FURTHER OFF THE ROAD. SO I BACKED UP VERY SLOWLY UNTIL THE BUMPER JUST TOUCHED THE CLIFF BEHIND ME. I BRAKED, THE CAR STOPPED, AND THEN I STEPPED VERY LIGHTLY ON THE GAS PEDAL, INTENDING TO BRAKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER MOVING FORWARD A FEW INCHES. TO MY HORROR, THE CAR SHOT FORWARD RAPIDLY, AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IT, NO MATTER HOW HARD I PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL. I SOMEHOW MANAGED TO TURN IT TO THE LEFT AND THUS AVOIDED PLUNGING OVER THE CLIFF BELOW ME. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, FISH-TAILING UP A SLIGHT GRADE. THEN IT HIT A PARKED CAR AND TURNED UPSIDE-DOWN ON THE ROAD. I SUFFERED BROKEN VERTEBRAE IN MY BACK AND NECK AND HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED FOR 12 DAYS AND WEAR A HEAD-NECK BRACE FOR TWO MONTHS. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR