ML 350 gearshift

Complete speculation but, based on the brief snippets of information, I wonder if the gear selector played a role in the tragedy on Metro-North.

Specifically:

"Instead she walked back to the driver’s seat and climbed in. There was a pause, he said, as if she were buckling her seatbelt ... 'I just knew she was going to back up — never in my wildest dreams did I think she’d go forward.' She drove forward."

And:

"Also, Brody had only been driving the 2011 Mercedes since December".

update: Consumer Reports had some similar thoughts.