Photo: Facebook / City of Corvallis PD
Tesla crashes almost always get media coverage around the world, as do most EV fires and mishaps. Even in this context, this one truly stands out. If Final Destination were a real-life accident, this would probably be it.
A reckless, intoxicated driver nearly caused a tragedy in Corvallis, Oregon, when his 2019 Tesla Model 3 went off the road and crashed into a power pole, two trees and a telephone junction box. This isn’t even the worst part of the accident: because the car was traveling at speeds in excess of 100 mph (161 kph), it shattered upon impact, sending debris flying hundreds of feet away.
Pieces of debris from the car struck three neighboring houses, causing a fire in one, flooding in another and landing in a person’s lap in the third. It’s true Final Destination stuff, with the only upside that no one was injured. Except for the driver, who had to be treated for minor injuries at the local hospital.
According to the official statement posted by the police on Facebook (hat tip to Teslarati), the car went off the road and traveled 300 feet (91.4 meters) more before halting. Upon impact, one of the tires was ripped from the car and was sent flying into a nearby home, rupturing the pipes in the wall it hit, which caused flooding of the entire apartment.
The force of the impact also shattered the battery pack, sending individual battery cells flying in all directions. One cell crashed through a window and landed on a bed, starting a small fire by igniting the bedding. Another landed in a person’s lap, after also smashing through the window. Police say that, of the hundreds of cells that came loose, they’re still receiving reports of others ending up in people’s homes, so they issued a warning on how to handle them before alerting the authorities.
The driver, identified as a local man, fled on foot but was caught three blocks away from the scene of the crash. He was found under the influence of marijuana and is now facing charges of DUI, Drugs, Hit and Run, Criminal Mischief 2, Reckless Endangering and Reckless Driving.
Pieces of debris from the car struck three neighboring houses, causing a fire in one, flooding in another and landing in a person’s lap in the third. It’s true Final Destination stuff, with the only upside that no one was injured. Except for the driver, who had to be treated for minor injuries at the local hospital.
According to the official statement posted by the police on Facebook (hat tip to Teslarati), the car went off the road and traveled 300 feet (91.4 meters) more before halting. Upon impact, one of the tires was ripped from the car and was sent flying into a nearby home, rupturing the pipes in the wall it hit, which caused flooding of the entire apartment.
The force of the impact also shattered the battery pack, sending individual battery cells flying in all directions. One cell crashed through a window and landed on a bed, starting a small fire by igniting the bedding. Another landed in a person’s lap, after also smashing through the window. Police say that, of the hundreds of cells that came loose, they’re still receiving reports of others ending up in people’s homes, so they issued a warning on how to handle them before alerting the authorities.
The driver, identified as a local man, fled on foot but was caught three blocks away from the scene of the crash. He was found under the influence of marijuana and is now facing charges of DUI, Drugs, Hit and Run, Criminal Mischief 2, Reckless Endangering and Reckless Driving.
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