Tesla has had its share of scrutiny the past weeks with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launching a probe on sudden acceleration issues. Now, reports of a Tesla Model S crashing in Pleasanton are likely to push the automotive company in more trouble.
According to ABC7, a man was killed after his Tesla Model S hit a traffic signal pole and cement wall in Pleasanton. He apparently lost control of the vehicle which ended up engulfed in flames. The identity of the driver remains unknown as of this time, NBC Bay Area reported.
The whole incident happened at around 6:00 a.m. Saturday night. Authorities revealed that the vehicle was southbound on Hacienda Drive before losing control. it has yet to be known if the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the San Francisco Gate reported. There was no one else in the vehicle.
This incident is expected to cause Tesla with more sleepless nights. Even before the crash, there were already reports of about 110 crashes and 52 injuries last year. The NHTSA has already launched an investigation on about 500,000 Tesla vehicles, including the Model S, Model X and Model 3. There have been growing complaints of alleged defects that are behind the sudden acceleration of the vehicle.
The most recent incident calls to mind a fiery crash that happened in February 2019. At the time, the "auto-present" car door handles of a Tesla Model S failed to retract, preventing a man from exiting the vehicle after crashing into a palm tree. Before that, there was also an incident involving another driver who was relying heavily on Tesla's semiautonomous driving feature after sideswiping a parked fire truck in Culver City.
Tesla has yet to release an official statement on the matter. However, there are some who are singling out the vehicle's electronics malfunctioning. There are reports claiming that Tesla already has the data pertaining to the unintended acceleration complaint rate but is refusing to share the date with vehicle owners.
Brian Sparks of Berkeley, California, is one of the people who petitioned the NHTSA to conduct the investigation. Curiously, the same man who made the petition is being scrutinized. Gustavo Henrique Ruffo decided to do a background check on the petitioner. He claims that Sparks is not a Tesla owner and is not an attorney, wondering why he took the time out to file the petition.
Whatever the case may be, it all depends on how the NHTSA plans to approach it. They could take it to the next step or junk it - even though the accidents are pointing towards the direction of the former.
