Tesla Model X Driver Dies in Mountain View Crash

https://www.engadget.com/2018/03/24/tesla-model-x-driver-dies-in-mountain-view-crash/

by blackguardx • 8 years ago

38 17 8 years ago

It's going to be important and relevant to learn whether autopilot was engaged.

I know that location pretty well. There are side-by-side HOV lanes. The left lane enters an up & over bridge to head south on Hwy 85. The right continues south on 101. It seems likely that this driver was traveling at high speed, either realized they were in the wrong lane, or were not paying attention and drifted into the collapsible barrier[0]. They'd have struck the median barrier from the end. It's about a foot wide concrete. One factor in this type of accident is that the X is much heavier than the typical auto (5,500 lbs for Model X vs. 3,500 for a Camry for example) and at high speed would have collapsed the safety barrier with much more force than it was designed to absorb, thus destroying the front end of the vehicle.

I'm speculating, but from the video, that appears to be what happened.

[0] https://goo.gl/maps/NqpxHaLsopQ2

praneshp2• 8 years ago

The area you described is fucking scary. It's a carpool lane, sure, but several drivers like to use it to get a little bit ahead and go back to non-carpool lanes, and sometimes they don't pay attention. It's also common for drivers to realize only one lane goes to 85 and jump in at the last moment, including driving over the triangular section just before the barrier.

Also scary is entering 85 (either direction) from El Camino near Bernardo.

Very sorry for the driver and their family :(

Fins3• 8 years ago

101 is pretty scary pretty much everywhere between Gilroy and SF (doesn't help that locals can barely drive even in perfect conditions; add two drops of rain, and the whole thing stops) but the title is clickbaity -- so far it doesn't look like it being a Tesla necessarily had anything to do with the accident.

DrScump3• 8 years ago

  Also scary is entering 85 (either direction) from El Camino near Bernardo

I don't understand this. Entering northbound 85 is just an average single-lane ramp -- are you concerned about competing with what little traffic is exiting 85 to Evelyn?

And taking 85 southbound is just a basic cloverleaf ramp to the right -- are you concerned with merging traffic from the 85 northbound offramp?

Neither of those particular use cases would be a problem but for the numerous transplants who can't freaking merge.

The other direction's onramp to 85 southbound became a messy hairpin a year or two ago after the construction.

tiredwired• 8 years ago

I drove past the scene yesterday heading northbound. Firetrucks and people were standing around. It looked like all the body panels ahead of the front doors were some distance down the road to the left of the divider. The rest of the car was to the right. Only way I can see that happening is if the car was at an extreme angle and hit sideways.

pkaye• 8 years ago

Shouldn't there be those impact absorbing bumpers before the concrete barrier?

dpark• 8 years ago

would have collapsed the safety barrier with much more force than it was designed to absorb

Why would the barrier not be designed to absorb the force from a 5500lb vehicle? Lots of light trucks (e.g. Chevy Silverado) weigh that much in certain configurations.

gonesilent• 8 years ago

Can see a volt meter on the side of the road in on of the links pics. Wonder if the first responder use that or was it this employee Tesla sent. Do you find a ground and check a metal part?

anorphirith• 8 years ago

why is this even news?! Teslas have a very strong firewall. if flames were coming out it most likely wasn't directed to the passenger compartiment. anyway all cars fail. people shouldn't expect teslas to be absolutely perfect...

burger_moon• 8 years ago

The front of the car was ripped off and you can see in the video, fires right where the driver and passengers feet would be.

https://twitter.com/NBCian/status/977406284260495360/video/1

kwhitefoot• 8 years ago

Fires are common in crashes regardless of the power plant.

Can anyone cite statistics supporting this statement?

thebruce87m• 8 years ago

Yes, especially statistics that include diesel vehicles.

Tesla Model X Driver Dies in Mountain View Crash

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