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Ford driving Alaskan maniac rams toddler-carrying SUV

A couple from Anchorage had a frightening traffic encounter when they were followed and repeatedly rammed by a stranger in a pickup truck. Grace Bernert, her boyfriend, and his two-year-old daughter were returning home from a trip to downtown Anchorage when they noticed a blue, 2001 Ford F-150 following closely behind them. "The guy was so close, we couldn't see his headlights," Bernert told KTVA. Bernert, who was riding shotgun, pulled out her phone to record the truck when it struck the rear end of their Acura SUV. That's when she called 911. Bernert's boyfriend tried to lose the F-150 in the Sullivan Arena parking lot, then drove to a local Ford dealer's parking lot where he drove through a maze of new Ford pickups in an attempt to shake their assailant. "We started doing circles around the brand new Fords because we thought the truck wouldn't be able to turn as fast as we would," said Bernert. "We were right, but the guy didn't care. He just kept hitting the new fords and backing up, coming after us." The truck continued to follow them, ramming the Acura again and again. Bernert estimates that F-150 driver struck their SUV between five and seven times, and hit numerous new trucks in the dealership parking lot. Eventually, they ducked into a nearby neighborhood where they managed to lose the F-150 and called 911. Bernert told KTVA that she believes they were targeted but doesn't know why. "The guy was either some random sick person who didn't care, or somebody who knew us and didn't care there was a kid in the car," she said. Anchorage Police arrived shortly after the couple escaped the F-150 and filed a report about the incident. They are currently investigating. Recent Video:

Weekly Recap: Auto execs face life in prison for recall delays under proposed legislation

The stiff punishments are part of broader transportation legislation, but clearly McCaskill has automakers in her sights.
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill threw down the gauntlet this week, proposing a bill that could send auto executives to prison for life if they were found to have delayed a recall. She also wants to eliminate the limit for fines for auto safety violations, which are currently capped at $35 million.

Ford increasing Super Duty production by 15 percent

Ford has announced a hefty $80 million investment in its Kentucky Truck Plant, which is responsible for building the F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 versions of the Super Duty pickup. The influx of cash will add 350 jobs to the factory.
The investment is also good for a 15-percent increase in annual production thanks to retooling and other facility upgrades, which equates to an extra 55,000 units of production. Considering that Ford makes even more money off its Super Duty than it does on the hot-selling F-150, this could mean some serious coin to Ford's bottom line.
Hop below for the full press release from Ford on its latest investment.