A driver died after crashing into a light pole in San Mateo on Tuesday evening, police said. Following the collision, the Tesla caught fire.
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The jaw-dropping incident occurred on Tuesday, July 14, around 7:16 p.m. local time, when officers were dispatched to a single-vehicle collision near the 1900 block of Alameda de las Pulgas in San Mateo, Calif., the San Mateo Police Department said in a
statement.Police said that the driver was seen careening through the intersection at Highway 92 before ramming into a light pole. He was later pronounced dead.
Police did not release any other information about the driver, who was alone in the car.
"We ask the public to avoid the area of Alameda De Las Pulgas. Between Highway 92 and 20th Avenue. Seek alternate routes while first responders and investigators continue their work," the police department warned. "There is heavy, toxic smoke around the crash site."
Tesla Auto-Brake System Has Not Functioned as Planned
It is unclear whether the deceased driver was operating the vehicle manually or using autopilot, but Tesla crashes have become commonplace this year.
Aside from the fatal results, the most worrying aspect is the fact that Tesla cars are reportedly equipped with collision avoidance assist.
According to the company website, Tesla models are equipped with the following safety features:
- Forward Collision Warning - provides visual and audible warnings in situations when Model 3 detects that there is a high risk of a frontal collision.
- Automatic Emergency Braking - automatically applies braking to reduce the impact of a collision.
- Obstacle-Aware Acceleration - reduces acceleration if Model 3 detects an object in its immediate driving path.
Tesla cars also include the Autopilot feature, which provides drivers with a hands-free trip to their desired destination.
Despite having several safety measures built-in, Tesla crashes still occur at an alarming rate.
Tesla vehicles introduced Autopilot in 2015. Since then, there have been several reported fatal defects with the software.
A jury in Florida found Tesla partly liable for a 2019 crash in which a Model S sedan using self-driving software killed a pedestrian and severely injured another.
Plaintiffs had argued the Autopilot software should have alerted the driver and activated the brakes before the crash.
The automaker was ordered to pay the victims $243 million in punitive and compensatory damages.
In 2023, a Tesla driver was ordered to pay more than $23,000 in restitution for the deaths of two pedestrians during a 2019 car crash in Los Angeles. That same year, Tesla recalled more than 2 million vehicles due to a defect with the Autopilot software.
