It concluded that the vehicles performed no worse than other sedans and that there was no evidence of a safety defect. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 20 investigated 23 fires in civilian and police Crown Victorias and mechanically similar Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Cars that involved 14 deaths, mostly police officers. Jeff Frayler, president of Suffolk County’s Police Benevolent Association, said, “I’m going to be looking into this pretty seriously when the investigation is complete.” Questions over whether the Crown Victoria’s design played any role in the death of Officer Glen Ciano has local union officials concerned. “We allege that the Crown Victoria places its fuel tank in a vulnerable place – that it’s a bad design,” Haney said.īut Ford attorney Douglass Lampe contended in an interview that the tank’s location – about 80 percent above and entirely behind the rear axle, upright between the rear seatback and front wall of the trunk – gives the car superior protection in crashes. 17, 2006, when his squad car was hit from behind and burst into flames.
In one case, attorney Mark Haney of Fort Worth, Texas, said yesterday he is suing Ford on behalf of the family of police officer Dwayne Freeto, who burned to death Dec. The location of the gas tank has been linked by critics to more than a dozen deaths of police officers, most in stopped cruisers struck from behind at high speeds.
The following was reported in Newsday on February 25, 2009, by Tom Incantalupo and Stacey Altherr:įord Crown Victoria police cruisers like the one involved in Sunday morning’s crash in Commack have been controversial for more than a decade for an alleged propensity for fuel leaks and fires when struck from behind as well as what critics say is marginal protection of drivers in side-impact crashes.
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