Toyota Repair: what could have caused this to happen....., power steering leaks, model toyotas

Question
today, while driving, my steeering wheel suddenly felt like it was 'locked' when I tried making a right hand turn and sometimes a left turn.....It felt as though someone turned the engine off suddenly..... I have not had this problem before and was wondering if it was something minor or something that will be a big job......

Is it safe to drive or bring it in to a mechanic?It is a 1993 Toyota.......
Could it be the brakes suddenly? Could it be steering fluid that leaked out?

Thank you for you help

Sincerely

Nanci
nanjan135@aol.com

Answer
Some model toyotas are more prone to power steering leaks than others but it sounds like that is where the problem is,if you could, let me know what model toyota it is.
There are basically three major causes for the leaks, the power steering pump, the high pressure hose, or the power steering gear rack seals.
check the fluid in the power steering fluid reservoir, if it's low there is a leak in the system, you can add some power steering fluid and it will help for a while.