There are signs that 66-year-old Paul Vanalfen had no control over his 2008 Camry when the car careened across a busy intersection and hit a rock wall Nov. 5 in Wendover, Utah. Vanalfen and his son's fiancee, 38-year-old Charlene Lloyd, were killed in the wreck.
An investigation showed that a faulty accelerator may have caused the accident, Highway Patrol Sgt. Nathan Croft told The Salt Lake Tribune.
"We can't say definitely, but there is a strong likelihood that it did in fact cause the crash," Croft told the paper. Police said skid marks made by the Camry near the crash site suggest that the car's brakes were working when Vanalfen hit the wall at about 70 mph.
Vanalfen's wife, Shirlene, 61, and son Cameron, 34, were injured in the accident but have been released from the hospital, according to The Associated Press. Lloyd, who was sitting in the backseat, was not wearing her seat belt, police told the Deseret News.
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The crash could bring more scrutiny of Toyota, which recalled 10 million cars and trucks earlier this year amid reports that some of its vehicles were suddenly accelerating out of control. Shirlene Vanalfen told the Tribune that her family "will definitely be looking into" a lawsuit. She could not be reached for comment today.Toyota cautioned against jumping to conclusions in the Utah crash.
"Toyota sympathizes with the friends and family of Paul Vanalfen and Charlene Lloyd," the automaker said in a statement obtained by AOL News. "As with all accident investigations, it's important to allow the investigation to proceed without drawing premature conclusions. We are supporting Utah Highway Patrol with its accident investigation."
Croft told the AP that Vanalfen's Camry was subject to multiple recalls, but said at least one of the fixes had been made on the car. The investigation is ongoing.