A Cleveland, Ohio man experienced a harrowing ordeal when he became trapped in his Cadillac XLR for almost 14 hours after the car’s electrical system failed, rendering its push-button doors and windows inoperative. This incident occurred late last month when Peter Pyros, intending to take a brief drive, found himself stranded in his garage.
As reported by the Detroit Free Press, Pyros entered his Cadillac around 10 a.m. However, after closing the door and trying to start the vehicle, nothing happened. The electrical system had malfunctioned, affecting the horn, windows, door locks, and the convertible hardtop of the XLR. Stranded and unable to escape, Pyros’s situation was compounded by the fact that he lives alone, and his neighbors were at work during the day.
Desperate to attract attention, Pyros pounded on the windows, hoping someone would come to his aid, but sadly, no one did. He lost consciousness twice and suffered from heat exhaustion until a neighbor finally found him around 11:20 p.m. after noticing his garage door was open.
Emergency services arrived and assisted Pyros by jump-starting his vehicle and unlocking the doors. He was then taken to a hospital for overnight treatment.
“I actually scribbled a letter to my nephew, I wrote, ‘This is a terrible death, but I love you.’ I didn’t want anyone to think I committed suicide,” Pyros shared with the Detroit Free Press.
While the XLR does feature a mechanical door release situated near the driver’s seat, many owners, including 75-year-old Pyros, are unaware of its existence. Additionally, at the time of the incident, he did not have access to the owner’s manual. Following the ordeal, Pyros has engaged a lawyer and reported difficulties sleeping since the incident.
“We are exploring all possible legal options and are in communication with other attorneys who have pursued similar cases against General Motors,” stated John Meros, a partner at Schulman, Schulman, and Meros in Cleveland.
In response, General Motors issued a statement emphasizing that the company offers mechanisms to manually unlock doors in the event of a power failure, urging vehicle owners to consult their manuals to locate the mechanical backup features..
