Highway Patrol rescues driver caught in malfunctioning Toyota Prius

A California Highway Patrol helped stop a runaway Toyota Prius after the car's accelerator became stuck at high speed.

Driver James Sikes said he phoned police for help after he lost control on a highway.

Police confirmed that a patrol car pulled alongside the Prius and officers told Mr Sikes over a loudspeaker to push the brake pedal to the floor and apply the emergency brake.

In a statement, Toyota said it has dispatched a field technical specialist to San Diego to investigate the incident.

Toyota recalled 8.5 million vehicles worldwide - more than six million in the United States - because of acceleration problems.