I checked with my wife: "How many brake lights does your car have?" Given her answers and amazement after a short demonstration in the driveway, I've been enlightened as to just how trivial these facts are in the scheme of things, and how I should be more clear and direct in describing things which seem second nature to me.

You said in your original post "I was at a local store facing their big front window...and I noticed....when I depressed the brake pedal...my headlights come on (as well as the indicator light on the rear-window defrost."

Then, again "depress the brake pedal and....headlights turn on, parking/marker lights turn on, passenger side brake light on. Driver's side brake light off."

And finally "brand new wiring....still have the same issue. (and this time the lights all stayed on after the key was removed (headlight switch was turned off)."

You should have three brake lamps. One each in the taillight assembly which is the 21-watt filament in a dual-filament bulb shared with the parking lamp 4-watt filament. And one in the tailgate that fell on you. 21-watt.

If the symptoms are the same, then your right side brake lamp comes on when you step on the pedal, but the tailgate lamp and the left side lamp remain dark. That true?

Do you have a trailer hitch?
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can't put it down.