Photo: NTSB
The fiery Tesla Model 3 crash that killed two people in Coral Gables on September 13 could have passed as an ordinary crash. The fact that the driver was 20 years old made many people try to dismiss it as if it was caused simply by lack of experience and high speed. Thanks to Ian Linder Sheldon, we know that was not the case. So much so that NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) announced it would get involved with the investigations.
The board will send three investigators to collaborate with the Coral Gables Police Department starting on September 20. They want to determine why the Model 3 “departed the roadway and collided with a tree.” A preliminary report should be ready in 30 days. Hopefully, they will contact Sheldon to get a copy of the video he managed to record.
The witness was traveling on Alhambra Circle when the Tesla Model 3 passed by his car. It would have happened at 8:53 PM, although the video footage informed it was at 8:40 PM. Trying to make a yellow light at 8:54 PM, the Model 3 accelerated a bit and hit a bump, which would have made the car jump “several feet,” according to Sheldon. When the EV landed, it suddenly swerved to the left, hit two trees, and caught fire immediately. By 8:57 PM, the vehicle was engulfed in flames.
In the video he released on Twitter and YouTube, Sheldon said that batteries were flying from the car as if they were sparks. He later photographed the crash location, and there were cells all over the place. Sheldon later removed the video and the tweet. According to what he posted on Twitter, the families of the two people that died in the crash asked him to do so. Apart from the 20-year-old male driver, a 19-year-old woman also perished.
Sheldon suspected the wreck happened due to a suspension problem, something that makes sense. Tesla has been having issues with that in his cars, and NHTSA is already investigating these episodes. Apart from what caused the car to swerve, it is crucial to understand what made it burn so quickly. Thankfully, NTSB may help to answer these two questions this weird crash posed. It won’t bring those people back, but it may prevent other folks from dying in similar conditions.
The witness was traveling on Alhambra Circle when the Tesla Model 3 passed by his car. It would have happened at 8:53 PM, although the video footage informed it was at 8:40 PM. Trying to make a yellow light at 8:54 PM, the Model 3 accelerated a bit and hit a bump, which would have made the car jump “several feet,” according to Sheldon. When the EV landed, it suddenly swerved to the left, hit two trees, and caught fire immediately. By 8:57 PM, the vehicle was engulfed in flames.
In the video he released on Twitter and YouTube, Sheldon said that batteries were flying from the car as if they were sparks. He later photographed the crash location, and there were cells all over the place. Sheldon later removed the video and the tweet. According to what he posted on Twitter, the families of the two people that died in the crash asked him to do so. Apart from the 20-year-old male driver, a 19-year-old woman also perished.
Sheldon suspected the wreck happened due to a suspension problem, something that makes sense. Tesla has been having issues with that in his cars, and NHTSA is already investigating these episodes. Apart from what caused the car to swerve, it is crucial to understand what made it burn so quickly. Thankfully, NTSB may help to answer these two questions this weird crash posed. It won’t bring those people back, but it may prevent other folks from dying in similar conditions.
The NTSB, in coordination with City of Coral Gables Police Department, is sending 3 investigators to conduct a safety investigation of the fatal Sept. 13, 2021, vehicle crash involving a Tesla Model 3 that departed the roadway and collided with a tree in Coral Gables, Florida.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) September 17, 2021
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