WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 55MPH, THE CAR JERKED TO THE SIDE BY ITSELF. I ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE JERK WITH THE WHEEL, AT WHICH POINT I WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. IT APPEARED THAT THE WHEEL WAS NO LONGER CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR. THE CAR JERKED AGAIN, I WAS ONCE AGAIN UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THE WHEEL ITSELF COULD TURN FREELY, BUT THE MOVEMENT OF THE CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE WHEEL. THE CAR JERKED AGAIN, ULTIMATELY SPINNING OUT AND CRASHING INTO THE MEDIAN HEADFIRST. THE CAR WAS TOTALED, BUT I WAS LUCKILY UNINJURED EXCEPT FOR SOME SCRAPES, BRUISES, AND WHAT MAY HAVE BEEN A MILD CONCUSSION. THE CAR HAD BEHAVED ODDLY TWICE BEFORE: ABOUT A MONTH BEFORE THE CRASH, THE CAR HAD JERKED TO THE SIDE SIMILARLY, AT A SOMEWHAT LOWER SPEED (ABOUT 45 MPH). I DISMISSED THE INCIDENT AS HUMAN ERROR, OR SOMETHING IN THE ROAD THAT I HADN'T SEEN, EVEN THOUGH IT FELT VERY STRANGE AND UNLIKE ANYTHING I'D EXPERIENCED BEFORE. I WAS ABLE TO CORRECT THE JERK AND FORGOT ABOUT IT. A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE CRASH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND REMAINED ON FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, BUT THEN WENT OFF. DURING THAT 30 MINUTES, I WAS STOPPED AT SEVERAL STOP SIGNS. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM THE STOP SIGN, I HAD TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR MUCH HARDER THAN NORMAL TO EVEN ACHIEVE A LOW SPEED. THIS HAPPENED 2-3 TIMES, HOWEVER, THEN THE CAR STARTED ACCELERATING LIKE NORMAL, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED OFF, SO I DID NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THESE INCIDENTS MAY OR MAY NOT