Seven people, including six children and one adult, were taken to the hospital Monday after sustaining injuries following a car crash. A Tesla Model 3 was involved but it has not yet been made clear if the vehicle's autonomous driving system was the cause of the incident.
A report from the Telegraph said one of the victims was pinned under the electric car, which was driving around in a school car park in southern England. Sussex Police said they had responded to a call about a collision between a car and pedestrians near College Road in Ardingly.
Police said one child had to be flowing to the nearest hospital due to serious injuries. The victim was an 8-year-old boy who was airlifted to St George's Hospital in London. Police said his injuries were serious but not life-threatening. The other six victims, including one parent, were taken to hospital by ambulance.
According to the police reports, the crash involved a blue Tesla Model 3. The vehicle was immediately removed from the scene by recovery services. Police said they are still investigating the matter.
The incident reportedly occurred during a "holiday camp pick-up" within the Ardingly College school grounds. The driver of the Tesla's was only identified as a 47-year-old woman. She reportedly only sustained minor injuries after the collision.
The Sussex Police superintendent, James Collis, said they are now investigating the cause of the collision. He asked the public to avoid speculating as they should be coming out with more information about the incident soon.
Collis asked anyone who had witnessed what had happened to come forward and make a statement. He said people who have a dashcam or smartphone footage of the crash should immediately get in touch with them.
Telsa has been under a lot of regulatory pressure in recent months following a series of crashes allegedly caused by faulty autonomous driving systems. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating reports that flashing lights from emergency vehicles could confuse Tesla's Autopilot system and cause crashes. Tesla has so far not yet made any official comment regarding the allegations.
