"Toyota Defense" - jailed driver freed

[WorkingOnIt]

Minnesota judge orders Koua Fong Lee free pending a new trial; prosecutors say they will not seek a retrial.

He had served 2 1/2 years of an 8 year sentence for vehicular homicide after his '96 Camry rear ended another car. Lee earlier rejected a plea that would have freed him but left the conviction intact.

New trial granted on basis of ineffective original defense council and testimony of same-model Camry drivers regarding uncontrolled acceleration. In addition, new evidence was uncovered that Lee's brake lights were on at the moment of the crash. The brake evidence was confirmed by an expert hired by an attorney for the victims' family, and several relatives of the victims came to the hearing to support Lee.

Minneapolis Star Tribune story
St Paul Pioneer Press story

Brake light filament evidence is new to me. Something objective beyond black box recordings to separate car failure from driver error.