One of the worst Tesla crashes was probably intentional. It happened last Monday in a Model 3 that was thrown off the top of a cliff in northern California. On board two children and their mother. “CHP investigators have been working all night interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence at the scene,” law enforcement said. “Based on the evidence gathered, investigators believe this incident was a premeditated act.”
The horror. In an accident. The images that reach us illustrate the intensity of the shock.
More than 75 meters below the road, the Tesla crashed between the rocks of Devil’s Slide, a promontory on the San Mateo County coast between Pacifica and Montara. Many accidents have happened here. But according to investigators, this father’s would have been much more important because it was intentional. After a helicopter rescued them, the passengers miraculously survived. The children, aged 4 and 7, are said to be “unharmed”. Her parents reportedly had no life-threatening injuries despite her critical condition.
Dharmesh Patel, the father of the car, is 42 years old. He was transferred to the San Mateo prison just after his release from the hospital. He faces attempted murder and child molestation charges for the crash, which investigators say appears to be a suicide attempt. To go off the road, the Tesla Model 3 would have been driving at high speed. The autopilot mode would not have been activated and would therefore not have been affected by the accident.
Here’s a photo of the Tesla Model Y falling 250 feet down a sheer cliff.
The B-pillar is made from ultra-high-strength reinforced steel and you can see that it did its job and basically kept the cabin perfectly intact.
Incredible work from the @You are here engineers! @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/NPSjFiMNvI
– Drive Tesla 🇨🇦 (@DriveTeslaca) January 4, 2023
Elon Musk reassured
On Twitter, Elon Musk did not respond to the case, merely responding to a tweet announcing that the passengers survived by writing “good news.” He also took the opportunity to “like” two tweets promoting safety on board the Model 3, which contributed to the miracle in that accident. In the results of the European Euro NCAP crash test 2019, the compact sedan received 5 out of 5 stars, with ratings of 96% for adult protection and 86% for children.
Between 1990 and 2021, no fewer than 30 fatalities and 10 rescues were recorded on this stretch of road, opened in 1937 and plagued by erosion and narrow passages, where the fault can quickly prove fatal. The Tesla crash, which caused a worldwide sensation, could prompt local authorities to work on their project of transparent curbs along the roads to avoid going off course while leaving the opportunity to see the countryside further to admire. Discussions on this project began almost two years ago. The start of work is planned for winter 2024.