This Fatal Tesla Crash Resulted In A Massive Fire

Two people were killed after a Tesla Model S hit a tree in Indianapolis, causing a huge fire

Updated: 04 Nov 2016

Firefighters in Indianapolis were presented with a raging fire to extinguish after a Tesla Model S crashed into a tree.

According to witnesses, the driver - 27-year-old Casey Speckman - was traveling at a “a high rate,” WTHR reports. She was pronounced dead at the scene, while her passenger - 44-year-old Kevin McCarthy - later died in hospital.

An intense fire followed the crash, complicated by burning battery cells launching out of the wrecked car. It was put out in around 5-10 minutes, and as is apparently the case with most hybrid or electric car fires, it was done so using “copious amounts of water.”

It’s important to point out that in the Indianapolis Fire Department press conference seen above it’s mentioned many vehicles explode after crashes of this severity, regardless of what fuels them. It’s just that electric and hybrid car fires present unique challenges.

Tesla actually has extensive guides on its website to help firefighters safely put out fires like these, and the Indianapolis Fire Department has been training responders in the unique aspects of EV and hybrid fires.

Update: we’ve since been sent the following statement about the crash from a Tesla spokesperson:

“We are deeply saddened to hear that this accident involved fatalities and we’ve been working with authorities to offer our full cooperation. Due to the damaged caused by the collision, the car was physically incapable of transmitting log data to our servers.
However, had Autopilot been engaged it would have limited the vehicle’s speed to less than 35 mph on this street, which is inconsistent with witness statements and the damage sustained.”

Update 2: The fine folks at Jalopnik have since found another video of the aftermath of the crash (below) which shows the car’s cells dramatically exploding, almost like fireworks.

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

Well this article certainly “sparked” my attention

not a time for a joke

Hit a tesla tower eh?

Why doesn’t this have more likes?

How dreadful. Always my worst fear loosing a loved one suddenly in something like a car accident! R.I.P

All im seeing on the net recently is non car guys smashing their ferraris and lambos…and these rich people smashing their teslas and i8!

Of the stuff that could kill electric cars stone dead, this is high on the list.

I’ve seen small LiPo batteries go up… on this scale that’s crazy. More dangerous than gasoline.

That’s the problem with batteries, they tend to explode.
That’s a serious problem we’re facing as you’ve already mentioned. There’s a HUGE backlog demand making them safer.

I posted this yesterday when it happened!!!

Tesla representative speaking to a group of electric car enthusiasts.
“If we burn, you burn with us!”

Why so many tesla crash lately?

Because every single one get’s the attention. I bet the percentage of BMWs for example that crash (and burst into flames after such a heavy accident) isn’t any lower, but no one cares. Tesla is still the new one, so everyone is watching.

True, the car which landed on the Merc, the Model X deadly doors & now this.

I love my fuel-burning combustion-engine even more now

Ay, team combustion!

Well, just so you know, gas cars catch on fire more often than electric cars.

People should not die from fire in a car accident. That is just wrong.

I dont understand why every tesla crash becomes a news headlines.. And why do you guys need a statement from the manufacturer for that.. hundreds of other cars meet with accidents and many die in it but I never once journalists asking for statements from bmw or honda or gm or ford.. whats with all the attention on teslas(apart from autopilot crashes since they are first of its kind).. Agreed that the company is new with new technology.. But the scrutiny is unbelievable.. Ok bring on the down votes

This might be brought about by the fact that Tesla is the new boy, but using revolutionary technology(Sort of), so naturally, everyone is watching. So, when these crashes do happen, the things that the Press says can come down to the expectation out of these cars.

Because the media has large political and corporate ties… Most big companies and political parties don’t want electric cars to take over (and thus lower dependence of oil), so their partners (i.e., the media) do everything possible to cast light on ANY issues with electric vehicles. Call me a conspiracy nut… but do even a tiny bit of research and you’ll see plenty of correlation with anti-electric stories and certain news outlets with strong ties to certain political affiliates.

Then, there’s also the matter of electric cars being the new kids on the block… they’re the hot topic right now. And a story dwelling on a crashed Tesla will draw far more attention than a crash involving a Civic.