The 18-year-old who was allegedly high on Oxycontin and Xanax when she drove a passenger van into a Hempstead, Long Island home, fatally striking the home's owner, was hysterical when taken out of the police station yesterday. Kayla Gerdes screamed to reporters, "No, I didn't [purposely aim for her.] Listen, stop -- listen, it was an accident! Please leave me, alone it was a mistake! Stop it was a mistake! No, I was on prescription drugs, it was a mistake! Stop! Leave me alone!" (Video below.) But she reportedly told police investigators, "The thing that made me feel not so bad was she was old," referring to victim Rebecca Twine-Wright, "I mean, 70 years is a long time to live." more ›

Today Toyota made official its recall of over 400,000 hybrid cars. Meanwhile a Queens man says he felt the affects of automaker's widespread pedal problems first-hand when his out-of-control Camry hit two other cars yesterday, ending up on the steps of a synagogue. "It's quite obvious—I blame Toyota," said Gerald Silver. more ›

Following up its sad, grayscale Superbowl ad, on Tuesday Toyota is expected to announce a recall of 300,000 Prius hybrids with faulty brakes. Japan's Kyodo News broke the news, which has not been confirmed by Toyota. In the U.S. at least 100 drivers have complained that their anti-lock breaks freeze momentarily on bumpy roads, reports the AP, and four accidents are suspected to have been caused by the defect. Last week, the U.S. Government pledged to investigate. If the recall goes through, it will affect drivers of the latest Prius model, who bought their cars after May of last year. Already this year the automaker has recalled over 7 million cars around the world. more ›

Some details about the truck that somehow crashed into a booth at the Verrazano Narrows Bridge toll plaza yesterday. A source told the Staten Island Advance the "driver apparently lost his brakes, then jumped the curb at the plaza, near lane 17, and struck the toll booth... The accident caused traffic tie-ups heading into Staten Island." The driver was not pinned, though his door was "pressed against the toll booth"—it turns out that emergency responders "were hesitant to remove him through the passenger-side door" due to the driver's shoulder injuries. more ›